Transform beets into a gourmet masterpiece with this beet tartare with mango yolk. It’s a stunning appetizer that blends bold flavors and vibrant colors with a touch of molecular magic. Perfect for impressing guests with a unique vegan spin on the traditional version.
Beets, right? They’re usually the humble root veg hiding in the corner of your fridge. But what if I told you they could steal the show? Enter beet tartare with mango yolk: a dish that’s as pretty as it is delicious.
Velvety, salt-baked beets are diced into tiny jewels, marinated in a tangy, umami-rich sauce, and crowned with a mango yolk. It’s fun to nick the membrane and watch it run onto the plate like an egg yolk! It not only adds visual appeal but also a tangy component. It’s a playful element that makes this dish an experience!
Now, I know what you’re thinking—tartare is supposed to be raw, and that’s not an egg yolk. But let’s bend the rules a little here. This beet tartare is a soft and velvety dish with just the right amount of salt, a hint of acid, the perfect umami kick, with a bit of fat to round it all out. The toasted walnuts add a satisfying crunch, while the vegan sour cream balances the acidity and adds a rich note.
Ready to dive in? Let’s make some kitchen magic happen.
Why You’ll Love This Beet Tartare Recipe
Sure, we all love a good recipe, but this one? It’s something special. Here’s why you’ll be obsessed with this beet tartare dish:
- Eye Candy: Deep red beets paired with bright mango yolks make this dish visually stunning.
- Flavor Bomb: Sweet, tangy, umami—all the flavors you crave in one bite. It’s like a party in your mouth.
- Texture Heaven: Velvety beets, crunchy walnuts, and creamy vegan sour cream—each bite is so texturally interesting!
- Easy For Impressing: This looks fancy, tastes amazing, but surprisingly simple to make.
- Vegan Of Course: 100% plant-based, dairy-free, and absolutely delicious. Perfect for impressing vegans and converting skeptics.
- Healthy and Tasty: Beets are packed with nutrients, making this dish as good for you as it is tasty.
- Conversation Starter: The unique presentation and molecular cooking twist will get everyone talking.
Key Ingredients
Each ingredient in this beet tartare with mango yolk plays a starring role. Here’s why they’re essential:
- Beets: Salt-baked to perfection, these beets are the heart of the dish. They’re sweet, earthy, and tender.
- Coarse Sea Salt: Used to bake the beets, it creates a firm yet tender texture. This technique makes the beets incredibly soft and velvety.
- Shallots: Minced and sautéed, they add a mild, aromatic depth that enhances the beets’ natural sweetness without overpowering it.
- Olive Oil, Coconut Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, Dijon Mustard: This powerhouse marinade infuses the beets with a complex umami flavor, balancing the sweetness and adding a tangy kick. Feel free to use apple cider vinegar in place of coconut vinegar if you like.
- Mango: Pureed and transformed into yolk-like spheres through reverse spherification, adding a sweet, tangy note.
- Sodium Alginate and Calcium Lactate: These ingredients make the molecular magic happen, turning mango puree into delicate, gel-like spheres.
- Vegan Yogurt: Adds creaminess to the mango yolks, making them smooth and rich.
- Toasted Walnuts: Provide a crunchy contrast to the soft beets, adding a nutty flavor and extra texture.
- Raw Kale: Minced and mixed in for a fresh, slightly bitter note that balances the sweetness of the beets and mango.
- Vegan Sour Cream: Creamy and tangy, it ties all the flavors together, offering a cooling balance.
- Toasted Crostini: The perfect crunchy base for serving, adding another layer of texture to each bite.
How Reverse Spherification Works
Reverse spherification is a fun molecular cooking technique that turns liquid into delicate gel-like spheres, similar to an egg yolk. In this recipe, we use mango puree combined with vegan yogurt and calcium lactate.
The process starts by blending sodium alginate (a natural gelling agent) with water to create a smooth solution. Next, small spoonfuls of the mango-yogurt mixture are gently dropped into the sodium alginate bath.
The calcium in the mixture reacts with the sodium alginate, forming a thin membrane around the liquid, creating a sphere. This results in a burst of tropical flavor encased in a soft, gel-like exterior, adding a unique texture and a visual wow factor to your beet tartare.
Reverse spherification might sound intimidating, but it’s surprisingly doable. Here’s a few tips to keep in mind:
- Precision is Key: Accurate measurements of sodium alginate and calcium lactate are crucial for successful spherification.
- Blend and Rest: Blend the sodium alginate solution thoroughly and let it rest to remove air bubbles, ensuring a smooth texture.
- Gentle Handling: Be gentle when dropping the mango puree into the sodium alginate bath to maintain the perfect sphere shape.
Salt-Bake Beets to Develop a Velvety Texture
These beets are salt-baked, which creates a soft and silky texture. I’ve used this technique to make salt-roasted golden beets and carrot lox. Baking at 375 degrees allows the beets to cook evenly and develop a tender yet firm texture. The salt holds moisture in during the baking process, ensuring that the beets remain tender and flavorful.
Helpful Tip: Choose small beets that are uniform in size for this recipe, so they bake completely through.
How To Make This Recipe
Making this beet tartare recipe is fun, and most of the work is passive. You’ll be marinating the roasted beets for a couple of days to allow the texture and flavors to deepen:
- Salt-Bake the Beets: Cover small beets in a generous layer of coarse sea salt and bake until firm yet tender.
- Prepare the Marinade: Whisk together olive oil, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard.
- Marinate the Beets: Dice the beets and toss with sautéed shallots and the marinade. Let them chill in the fridge overnight or up to a couple of days to soak up all that flavor goodness and transform even more into a velvety texture.
- Make the Mango Yolks: Before serving, use the reverse spherification cooking technique to transform mango puree into delicate, yolk-like spheres. It’s easier than it sounds and adds a wow factor.
- Assemble the Dish: Swoosh some vegan sour cream onto a plate, add the beets, and sprinkle with toasted walnuts and minced kale, and crown with the mango yolks. Serve on toasted crostini for the perfect bite. Serve with a glass of wine or light beer. Enjoy!
Alternative Serving Option:
If the molecular cooking aspect feels intimidating, don’t worry. You can enjoy this beet tartare simply with the vegan sour cream, toasted walnuts, and minced kale on toasted crostini. Another great option is to serve it with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The tartare itself is flavorful enough to shine on its own.
For the nitty-gritty details and exact measurements, check out the recipe card below!
FAQs
Reverse spherification is a molecular cooking technique where a liquid (like mango puree) is combined with calcium lactate and dropped into a sodium alginate bath, forming a thin gel membrane around the liquid. This creates a sphere that bursts in your mouth, mimicking the texture of an egg yolk.
Yes, you can prepare the beets a day or two in advance and keep them marinating in the fridge. The mango yolks are best made fresh to maintain their delicate texture. Toast the walnuts and mince the kale right before serving.
Not really! While an immersion blender and a small round-bottomed container can help, you don’t need fancy equipment. A regular blender works for mixing, and a simple drinking glass can serve as your spherification mold. It’s all about being gentle and precise with your measurements and technique.
Whether you’re looking to impress dinner guests or simply elevate your own dining experience, this beet tartare with mango yolk is the perfect dish. With its vibrant colors, bold flavors, and touch of molecular magic, it’s a unique twist on a classic. Give it a try and discover how easy and fun vegan molecular cooking can be!
Love Beets? Check These Recipes Out!
- Salt-Roasted Golden Beets with Teriyaki Sauce and Nori Dust
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Beet Caviar for Vegan Sushi
- The Best Beetroot Burgers
Have you tried this beet tartare recipe? Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Beet Tartare with Mango Yolk
- Total Time: 26 hours
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups of beets and 10 mango yolks
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Turn your appetizer game up a notch with this beet tartare with mango yolk. Think salt-baked beets with a tangy marinade, paired with tropical mango spheres, and topped with crunchy walnuts and creamy vegan sour cream. It’s a vibrant, flavor-packed starter that’s sure to impress and delight dinner guests or just make a night in feel special.
Ingredients
for the beets
- 4–5 small red beets
- 2–3 cups coarse sea salt
- 2 medium shallots, minced
for the marinade
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coconut vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
for the mango yolks
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon sodium alginate
- 6 ounces pureed mango
- 3 tablespoons plain vegan yogurt (I used Kite Hill brand)
- 1 teaspoon calcium lactate
to serve
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup minced raw kale
- vegan sour cream, for serving
- toasted crostini
Instructions
to salt roast the beets
- preheat your oven to 375.
- Using a glass pyrex that’s large enough to accommodate the beets, pour a layer of salt onto the bottom of the dish.
- Scrub and rinse the unpeeled beets and place them into the pyrex wet. You’ll want the layer to be thick enough so the beets don’t make contact with the bottom of the pyrex.
- Now pour salt over them until they are mostly covered, then place into the oven for an hour and a half. What happens during this time is the beets are lightly steamed, giving them a super-soft texture.
- Once the roasting is done, allow them to rest until cool enough to handle. Using a sharp knife if needed, peel the beets and set aside. It’s easiest to do this while the beets are warm.
- Dice the beets as uniform and small as possible. Place into a bowl. Give the minced shallots a little saute in a lightly oiled pan, then add to the beets.
to make the marinade
- Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together. If you have a little more or a little less than 2 cups of beets, just adjust the marinade components accordingly. Pour over the beets, cover, and place into the refrigerator overnight at the least and up to two days for the best flavor and texture.
to make the mango yolks
- Pour three cups of cold water into a large measuring glass cup. Add in the sodium alginate and, using an immersion blender at its highest speed, blend for a full two minutes. Set aside for about 30 minutes to allow the air bubbles to settle.
- Combine the mango puree with the vegan yogurt and calcium lactate. Stir well by hand and set aside.
- Find a drinking glass with a circular base, no more than 2-3 inches in diameter.
- Pour a very small amount of the sodium alginate mixture into the bottom of the glass.
- Then spoon a little less than one tablespoon into the glass. It has to be dropped carefully and in one shot to achieve a perfect yolk shape.
- Now, tip the glass to a 45-degree angle, then very slowly pour more solution over the top until it’s covered, then slowly raise it back up to a 90-degree level (sort of like pouring a beer carefully into a glass).
- Swirl the yolk around in a circular motion for about 30 seconds to create the yolk shape. Set it down and leave it undisturbed for about two minutes.
- By now, the yolk should be very sturdy. Rinse it off under cold water or place it into a bowl of cold water while you make the rest of the yolks.
to toast the walnuts
- Preheat a small cast iron pan over medium heat. Add in the walnuts, and allow to toast for a few minutes giving them a shake every now and then. They are done when you can smell them, and they’ve developed a little color. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
to serve
- Place one or two tablespoons of vegan sour cream onto a plate, smeared over a toasted crostini or on the side. Spoon the desired amount of beets over the top, topping with the toasted walnuts and minced kale. Finish with a mango yolk.
Notes
Choosing Beets: Select small, uniformly sized beets for even baking. Smaller beets will cook more evenly and have a sweeter, more concentrated flavor.
Mango Yolks Alternative: If you’re not up for the molecular cooking aspect, simply serve the beet tartare with extra vegan sour cream or a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Serving Suggestion: Serve the beet tartare on toasted crostini for a crunchy base. Pair with a glass of crisp white wine or a light beer to complement the flavors.
Storage: The beet tartare component can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Assemble just before serving for the best texture and presentation.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Marinating Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Salt-Baked, Reverse Spherification
- Cuisine: American, French
Kay says
Your blog is the best I’ve found in ages, vegan or not! I transitioned to a vegan diet rather recently and am really enjoying it (eating vegan definitely spurs even more culinary creativity for me, which is fun). Your recipes are SUPER creative and it’s clear that you’re really talented! Also, thanks for reminding me that I wanted to try some molecular gastronomy techniques a long time ago but never did. I’m definitely excited to give it a go, particularly for any “veganizing” I want to do in the future. Well, this was a long comment, but basically thanks for this!
erinwyso says
So happy you like, Kay … thanks for your kind words! 🙂
Lyle says
Your vegan lox was astounding so I gotta try this. Yogurt is in the list of ingredients but I don't see it in the directions. Do you just puree it with the mango? This will be my first attempt at spherification,,, as soon as the calcium lactate and sodium alginate get here.
erinwyso says
Lyle, glad you liked the lox! I updated the recipe to include the yogurt, which just blends with the mango puree. Thanks for catching that.
Have fun with spherification! It's always fun playing around with ratios and ingredients to see what happens, good luck and hope you enjoy!
christine says
Wow – I'm trying to like beetroot (I've been doing this on and off for years, though) and this sounds like a fun way to try it. You are so inventive – cool yolks – very Heston Blumenthal:) Well done
erinwyso says
Thank you, Christine! 🙂
Honey Moser says
So fancy!!
erinwyso says
Thank you!
Abby says
This is freaking AMAZING. I'm coming to your house for happy hour 🙂
erinwyso says
Thanks Abby, please do!
Caitlin M says
you are such an artist. how do you not own your own restaurant?
erinwyso says
aw, Caitlin, you are so sweet, thanks for your kind words!! xo