Andi Oliver’s beetroot and walnut borek

Andi Oliver’s beetroot and walnut borek

Andi Oliver’s vibrant beetroot and walnut-filled borek, served with refreshing cucumber, avocado and apple gazpacho, makes for the most wholesome of vegetarian offerings.

Andi Oliver’s beetroot and walnut borek

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands-on 30 min, 
oven 20-25 min, simmering 60-75 min, plus cooling

Andi Oliver’s vibrant beetroot and walnut-filled borek, served with refreshing cucumber, avocado and apple gazpacho, makes for the most wholesome of vegetarian offerings.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
616kcals
Fat
32.4g (11.1g saturated)
Protein
11.9g
Carbohydrates
57.5g (13.1g sugars)
Fibre
4.4g
Salt
0.5g

Ingredients

For the beetroot and walnut borek

  • 2 whole beetroot (about 200g)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • finely grated zest ½ orange
  • 200ml red wine
  • 150ml pomegranate juice
  • 1½ tsp cornflour
  • 70g walnuts, finely chopped
  • 8 filo pastry sheets
  • 100g unsalted butter, melted

For the gazpacho

  • 1 cucumber, 5cm piece finely diced for garnish, the rest, roughly chopped
  • 1 spring onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 green jalapeño or other green chilli, roughly chopped
  • the juice of 2 limes
  • a small bunch of fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 4 fresh tarragon sprigs, leaves picked
  • 100ml apple juice
  • ½ ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and roughly chopped
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Method

  1. Put the beetroot, cinnamon, coriander seeds, bay leaves, orange zest, red wine and pomegranate juice in a saucepan along with 400ml water. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then cook gently for 60-75 minutes until the beetroot are tender all the way through.
  2. Remove the beetroot from the poaching liquid (set the liquid aside), leave to cool, then peel and chop into 1cm cubes. Strain and discard the spices from the poaching liquid, then put it back over a high heat, boiling for 
about 2 minutes until reduced to 100ml.
  3. Put the cornflour in a small bowl, mix in a splash of cold water, then whisk into the beetroot liquid and heat for 30 seconds. Add the chopped beetroot and walnuts to the pan and stir.
  4. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. To make the borek, lay a sheet of filo on a clean work surface (cover the others with a clean damp tea towel to prevent them drying out) and cut in half lengthways. Brush melted butter on one half and lay the other half on top, brushing with more melted butter. Put one eighth of the beetroot mixture onto the short edge of one end of the filo, fold in the long edges of the filo a little to cover the filling, then roll up the filo into a cigar shape, tucking in the sides as you go. Brush 
with melted butter, then put onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Repeat with the remaining sheets of filo.
  5. Bake the borek for 15 minutes, turn them over, then return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes until golden and crisp on both sides.
  6. While the borek are baking, make the gazpacho. Put all the gazpacho ingredients (except the cucumber garnish) into a blender and whizz until smooth. Season well, then chill. Let the borek cool for 10 minutes, then serve with the gazpacho, scattered with the reserved cucumber.

Nutrition

Calories
616kcals
Fat
32.4g (11.1g saturated)
Protein
11.9g
Carbohydrates
57.5g (13.1g sugars)
Fibre
4.4g
Salt
0.5g

delicious. tips

  1. Prepare the beetroot mixture up to 48 hours in advance. Keep covered in the fridge. The gazpacho can be made up to 
an hour ahead. Prepare the borek, unbaked, a few hours in advance and keep covered in the fridge.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By

Andi Oliver

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