Roasted Beet Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Spiced Yogurt

Roasted Beet Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Spiced Yogurt is a colorful mix of earthy roasted beets, peppery arugula, crunchy-chewy chickpeas, and creamy yogurt.

Who else is caught somewhere between winter and spring? Should we wear sweaters or sundresses? Is dinner going to be a warm braise or a cool salad? Seasons transitioning are always confusing to me, even in Houston where the transition isn’t all that drastic.

Here is a salad that will hold our hands and guide us as we walk the line between winter and spring. It is both hearty and cool, beautiful and delicious. Roasted Beet Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Spiced Yogurt is a colorful mix of earthy roasted beets, peppery arugula, crunchy-chewy chickpeas, and creamy yogurt. Toasted pistachios add nuttiness, and the yogurt gets pops of spice and sweet from cumin, coriander, and orange – simple flavors that blend to make something extraordinary.

Whether you are heading to the mountains or the beach for spring break, or whether spring break is a few hours spent relaxing on your own patio, Roasted Beet Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Spiced Yogurt will fit in. Unlike the turtlenecks whose time in storage has come.

Roasted Beet Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Spiced Yogurt

8 beets (a mix of colors is nice)
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons orange juice
4 cups arugula
¼ cup pistachios, shelled and toasted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or foil.

Trim the leafy tops off the beets, peel them, and cut them into quarters. Toss with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange the beets in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets.

Toss the chickpeas with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange them in a single layer on the other prepared baking sheet.

Roast the beets and chickpeas in the same oven, rotating the pans after 20 minutes. Roast another 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, cumin, coriander, and orange juice until the spices and juice are incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spread the spiced yogurt on a platter. Top with the arugula, then the beets. Sprinkle the crispy chickpeas and toasted pistachios over the top. Add another drizzle of olive oil over everything.