Beet Leaf Dolmades Recipe | Stuffed Beet Leaves with Walnut Tzatziki Sauce
Tender beet leaves are wrapped around lemony herbed rice and gently simmered, then served with a creamy walnut tzatziki. Bright, earthy, and perfect for mezze, picnics, or an easy dinner.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch beet greens (from about 2–3 beets), stems trimmed
- 1 cup long-grain rice (basmati or jasmine), rinsed well
- 1 small onion, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water, divided
- Lemon slices, for lining the pot (optional)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (whole milk for best texture)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1/2 medium cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby.
- Rinse beet leaves well, blanch in batches for 20–30 seconds until pliable, then transfer to ice water, drain, pat dry, and trim thick ribs.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook minced onion with a pinch of salt for 5–6 minutes until translucent.
- Stir in garlic, coriander, and cumin and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add rinsed rice, stir to coat for 1 minute, then pour in 1 cup vegetable broth and simmer uncovered until mostly absorbed and rice is par-cooked, 6–8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in dill, mint, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper, then let cool 5 minutes.
- Lay a beet leaf shiny side down, place 1–2 tablespoons filling near the stem end, fold bottom over filling, tuck in sides, and roll snugly; overlap two small leaves if needed.
- Repeat with remaining leaves and filling to make about 20–24 dolmades.
- Line a wide pot or Dutch oven with lemon slices and any torn beet leaves, then arrange dolmades seam side down in a snug layer (and a second layer if needed).
- Whisk remaining 1 cup broth with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil and pour around the rolls to come up the sides.
- Place a heatproof plate on top to weigh the dolmades down, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 25–30 minutes until leaves are tender and rice is cooked.
- Remove from heat and rest 10 minutes.
- Combine yogurt, walnuts, squeezed cucumber, grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper to make the walnut tzatziki; adjust seasoning and chill.
- Transfer dolmades to a platter, drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, and serve warm or at room temperature with walnut tzatziki.
Notes
Pack dolmades snugly and keep the simmer gentle to prevent unraveling. Do not overfill; the rice expands. Make ahead and chill for improved flavor. For variation, fold in 1/2 cup cooked lentils, add tomato paste and smoked paprika, or switch herbs. Store dolmades up to 4 days refrigerated and tzatziki 3–4 days; dolmades freeze well for up to 2 months.