Raw Beetroot, Walnut and Mint Salad with Cumin Labne

With a consistency between yoghurt and cheese, Labne adds a creamy, spicy depth to this colourful salad, and is surprisingly simple to make...

Raw beetroot has an earthy sweetness that I adore. It's incredibly nutritious; a powerful detoxifier and an agent for helping your body absorb iron. Labne is a fresh yoghurt cheese made by straining Greek Yoghurt overnight. Try to use yoghurt with live cultures to make the labne extra nutritious.

The addition of tahini and cumin give this dish a delicious slightly Middle Eastern note. The salad will work beautifully as a stand-alone meal or as a tasty shared plate for picnics or BBQs. It will last for a couple of days too so consider lunch sorted!

500 grams Greek yoghurt  

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 medium/large beetroot, peeled, trimmed and grated.

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

1 heaped tablespoon tahini

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup good quality walnuts - roughly chopped

1 large handful mint - roughly sliced

sea salt and cracked black pepper

To serve: extra walnuts, sliced fresh mint and cracked pepper

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side dish

12 hours prior to making the salad place yoghurt in a sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth over a deep bowl and leave in the fridge to drain for 8-12 hours until very thick and stiff. Discard the liquid.
Add ground cumin and season generously with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place grated beetroot and carrot in a large bowl. Add the tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. Stir well until evenly coated. Add mint, walnuts and sea salt.

Serve with a dollop of labne and garnish with extra walnuts and mint.