Beet and Feta Galette

My girlfriend gifts me wonderful cookbooks, and one of the last ones I received from her was Falastin, by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley, published in 2020.

Sami Tamimi is well known for his co-authoring of many Ottolenghi cookbooks. At least that’s how I became familiar with him. In fact, Falastin’s foreword was written by Yotam Ottolenghi, sighting that the authors “have picked up the baton where it was left after Jerusalem.”

On the back cover, it’s written: “This is a cookbook about Palestine. About its food, its people, and their voices. It is a book about the common themes that all these elements share, and how Palestine weaves stories and cooking into the fabric of its identity.”

Falastin reminds me of the Ottolenghi-Tamimi cookbooks, in the size and heft, the beautiful photos, and fascinating stories. The recipe I chose to make is called Beet and Feta Galette with Za’atar and Honey.

It’s so easy to pull out puff pastry for a savory or sweet galette, but I was attracted to this recipe because a delicious, oregano- and thyme-laden dough is used for the crust. A nice change from puff pastry, or a plain pie crust.

Beet and Feta Galette with Za’atar and Honey
Serves 4

2 small purple beets
1 small golden beet
Salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Crust
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 tablespoon oregano leaves, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, fridge-cold, cut into 1/2” cubes
1/4 ice-cold water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 1/2 teaspoon
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4” slices
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt
1 tablespoon za’atar
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup oregano leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup ricotta
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Black pepper
3 1/4 ounces feta, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Wrap the beets individually in foil and bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until completely soft and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then use an old dish towel to gently rub away the skins.

Slice each beet into 1/8” slices and place in separate bowls, to keep the purple away from the golden beets. Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt a good grind of black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of oil to the golden beets. (I only had purple beets.) Combine the purple beets with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a good grind of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon oil. Set both aside until needed.

To make the crust, put both flours into a large bowl along with the sugar, salt, and herbs. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub it into the flour. Don’t overwork the butter – you want chunks of it throughout the dough. Add the water and use your hands to gather the dough together. Transfer to a well-floured surface and roll out into a rough rectangle, about 11 x 7”. The dough here is fairly wet and sticky, so you’ll need to flour your hands, rolling pin, and work surface often.

Fold the shorter ends in toward each other so that they meet at the center, then fold the dough in half, like a book. Roll out the dough once with a rolling pin and then just fold once in half again. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Put the 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil into a medium sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned. Add the sugar, vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook for 1 minute, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, then stir in 1 teaspoon of za’atar, the parsley, and the oregano.

Put the ricotta, garlic, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper into a bowl and set aside. (I happened to have leftover creme fraiche, so I used that.)

Generously flour a 12” square of parchment paper. Transfer the crust dough to the prepared parchment paper and roll out to form a rough circle. It will have uneven edges but should be about 11” wide. Lifting up both the baking parchment and the dough, transfer to a baking sheet; you don’t want to be lifting it onto the sheet once filled.

Spread the ricotta mixture over the base of the dough, leaving a 1/2” rim clear around the edges. Top with half the feta, then the onions. Next, and this time leaving a 1 1/2” rim clear around the outside, top with the beets, alternating between purple and golden, with a little overlap between each piece. Wash your hands well, then scatter the remaining feta on top.

Using a knife, make 3/4” incisions spaced about 3 1/4” apart around the edge of the galette. Creating these “strips” will allow for the beets and cheese to be encased. Take a resulting dough strip and fold it over the beet, in toward the center of the galette. Repeat with the next strip, pulling gently to slightly overlap and seal the last fold. Continue this way with the rest of the strips, then refrigerate the galette for 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes, or until deeply golden and cooked through.

Drizzle with the honey and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon of oil, then scatter with the remaining 2 teaspoons za’atar.

Transfer to a wire rack so that the bottom remains crisp and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Garnish with thyme leaves.

Slice once set, and serve.

And that crust?! Flaky, tender, and herby!

By Published On: October 15th, 202142 Comments on Beet and Feta Galette

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

42 Comments

  1. Travel Gourmet October 15, 2021 at 6:10 AM - Reply

    This looks gorgeous, Mimi. I’ve just bought the book on your recommendation in an earlier post and this is a recipe I definitely want to try.

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:46 AM - Reply

      You will love the book. I’ve loved everything I’ve made out of it!

  2. angiesrecipes October 15, 2021 at 8:42 AM - Reply

    Sweet and salty…beet and Feta are amazing together! This is a fabulous tart, Mimi.

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:44 AM - Reply

      Thanks, Angie! It’s really amazing for sure.

  3. Healthy World Cuisine October 15, 2021 at 9:31 AM - Reply

    Oh my this looks amazing. Family is not a beet fan so lucky for me.. I could eat the whole darn thing. Crispy and delicious!

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:44 AM - Reply

      I used to think they tasted like dirt, which they do… but I love them!

  4. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen October 15, 2021 at 9:36 AM - Reply

    My husband is all about beets, he would enjoy this a lot. Love that you used the puff pastry.

  5. Fran @ G'day Souffle October 15, 2021 at 10:13 AM - Reply

    Amazing- this dough looks like flaky puff pastry even though you said it wasn’t! I love all the flavors here!

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:43 AM - Reply

      The dough turned out fantastic, and I love the herbiness of it. It just steps it up from puff pastry, which I also love.

  6. For the Love of Cooking October 15, 2021 at 11:56 AM - Reply

    What a great (and tasty) idea!

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:43 AM - Reply

      It’s so good. You’ll love it if you make it. Of course, you have to like beets!

  7. Bernadette October 15, 2021 at 12:54 PM - Reply

    Mimi, thanks for the cookbook recommendation and this recipe. So many different flavors, I can’t wait to try it.

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:42 AM - Reply

      It’s so good, and I’m really loving this book.

  8. Debra October 15, 2021 at 9:14 PM - Reply

    I love beets and have some right now waiting to be cooked. I’m so excited about this recipe. I have loved cooking from the Ottolenghi books and it looks like I need to check this one out, too! :-) This rates a “10” for sure!

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:41 AM - Reply

      It definitely does. Really really superb.

  9. Sherry M October 15, 2021 at 11:28 PM - Reply

    this sounds wonderful mimi and i love the idea of making the crust. i used to make mine most times but i’ve mostly resorted to bought pastry these days. must try again:)

    • chef mimi October 16, 2021 at 8:40 AM - Reply

      Nothing wrong with puff pastry, but I like that this one was herby!

  10. Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons October 16, 2021 at 7:22 PM - Reply

    This sounds and looks delicious Mimi, so unusual to use beets in a tart or galette.

  11. David Scott Allen October 16, 2021 at 11:02 PM - Reply

    He had convinced me that I must get this book! This sounds incredible. I’ve loved his work with Ottolenghi, and I know I will love this book as well. Tarte looks amazing! The pastry sounds phenomenal, too.

    • chef mimi October 17, 2021 at 1:10 PM - Reply

      It’s so good – you’ll love the book!!!

  12. Jeff the Chef October 17, 2021 at 11:32 AM - Reply

    This sounds so wonderful, and that final picture is the closer!

    • chef mimi October 17, 2021 at 1:10 PM - Reply

      Thanks so much Fed!

  13. Valentina October 17, 2021 at 8:26 PM - Reply

    Such a great recipe you chose. I haven’t seen beets used in this way before and it looks so delicious. The book sounds wonderful and I love that quote from the back. :-) ~Valentina

    • chef mimi October 18, 2021 at 8:21 AM - Reply

      The book really is fantastic. I made quite a few recipes already and they’re all outstanding.

  14. neil@neilshealthymeals.com October 18, 2021 at 5:09 AM - Reply

    This looks great Mimi. I love recipes that use puff pastry. And with all those herds mixed in to it I bet it’s got a unique flavour. Yum!

    • chef mimi October 18, 2021 at 8:25 AM - Reply

      Puff pastry would be excellent of course, but I did enjoy making this herby pie crust.

  15. spicedblog October 18, 2021 at 6:38 AM - Reply

    Although I’m not a huge fan of beets (they taste like dirt to me), I am a huge fan of all those herbs in this crust – what a great idea!! I’m with Jeff, that final picture is perfection!

    • chef mimi October 18, 2021 at 8:24 AM - Reply

      Thank you! I think this Galette is very photogenic!

  16. Ron October 19, 2021 at 2:49 AM - Reply

    Mimi, I love reading your post because you always introduce me to new cookbooks and recipes. This Beet and Feta Galette will sit well on a Swedish table as we love beets. I’ll try making it in my pizza oven as I’ve been successful making other galettes in it.

    • chef mimi October 19, 2021 at 9:57 AM - Reply

      Thank you Ron! A pizza oven sounds so handy!

  17. sippitysup October 19, 2021 at 8:30 PM - Reply

    I’ve often toyed with the idea of making a beet galette. Now I have a roadmap! GREG

    • chef mimi October 20, 2021 at 6:34 AM - Reply

      And a very good roadmap it is!

  18. kitchenriffs October 20, 2021 at 10:01 AM - Reply

    I love beets! Never had them in a galette, though. Such a neat idea. Terrific recipe — thanks.

    • chef mimi October 20, 2021 at 10:02 AM - Reply

      This is sooo god- hope you get a chance to make it!

  19. Molly Pisula October 20, 2021 at 4:00 PM - Reply

    I love beets, and this recipe looks delicious. Love how flaky that crust turned out too!

    • chef mimi October 20, 2021 at 5:03 PM - Reply

      The beets tasted the way I thought they would, although the addition of the honey was a wonderful surprise! The crust was herby and definitely flaky.

  20. Jovina Coughlin October 21, 2021 at 1:09 PM - Reply

    I love making gallettes. Your recipe loooks delicious and unique. What a great way to serve beets.

    • chef mimi October 22, 2021 at 8:07 AM - Reply

      The original recipe had orange beets as well, but using only the red didn’t change the flavor. And it’s so pretty!

  21. 2pots2cook October 22, 2021 at 5:23 AM - Reply

    This is really delicious ! Sweet beet and salty feta are such a great match ! Garnished with thyme, must be heavenly good !

    • chef mimi October 22, 2021 at 8:05 AM - Reply

      The flavors were definitely wonderful, except for the bad cheese, of course!

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