Ukrainian Beet and Walnut Spread with Toasted Rye Crisps and Dill

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap the beets loosely in foil, set them on a baking sheet, and roast for 55 to 70 minutes until a paring knife slides into the center with no resistance.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds beets (about 4 medium), scrubbed
• 1 cup walnut halves
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill, plus fronds for garnish
• 6 slices dark rye bread
• Flaky salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap the beets loosely in foil, set them on a baking sheet, and roast for 55 to 70 minutes until a paring knife slides into the center with no resistance.
2. While the beets roast, spread the walnuts on a small tray and toast them in the same oven for 7 to 8 minutes, until fragrant and just darkened. Watch carefully — walnuts turn bitter the moment they overshoot.
3. Slice the rye bread as thinly as you can manage, cut each slice into wide shards, and bake them on a sheet pan for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once, until fully dry and crisp. Cool completely; they firm up further as they sit.
4. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip the skins off with your fingers or a paper towel and cut them into rough chunks.
5. Pulse the toasted walnuts and garlic in a food processor until they resemble coarse sand. Add the beets, olive oil, vinegar, coriander, salt and pepper, then process to a thick, slightly textured spread — stop before it becomes a smooth puree.
6. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and fold in the sour cream and chopped dill by hand. Taste and add more vinegar if it needs lift; beets vary enormously in sweetness.
7. Chill for at least an hour so the flavors settle, then spread into a shallow bowl, swirl the surface with the back of a spoon, and drizzle with olive oil.
8. Top with reserved chopped walnuts, dill fronds and flaky salt, and serve with the rye crisps alongside.
9. Beets and walnuts are a pairing that runs deep through Ukrainian and broader Eastern European cooking, where root vegetables carried households through long winters and nuts supplied the fat and body that meat could not always provide. Roasting rather than boiling the beets concentrates their sugars instead of leaching them into the water, which is the single biggest difference between a spread that tastes earthy and one that tastes flat. Late summer is when new-season beets arrive small and sweet at market stalls, and this is the moment to make it — the color alone is worth the oven time.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 324 kcal
• Protein: 8g
• Fat: 22g
• Carbohydrates: 27g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 11g
• Sodium: 480mg