Spiced Beet Slaw with Apple, Cilantro, Pumpkin Seeds, Yogurt and Orange-Cumin Dressing
A vibrant magenta slaw — shredded raw beet, thinly sliced red onion and green apple, raisins, pumpkin seeds, fresh cilantro — dressed with a Moroccan-spiced orange-cumin vinaigrette, served with a yogurt drizzle
Serves 4–6 as a side
20 min active · 20 min total
Year-round (peak beet season autumn-winter)
Cuisine: Moroccan-Mediterranean
Best to consume: Midday or early evening
Ingredients
Slaw
2-3 medium raw beets (red or mixed colors — Chioggia striped, Detroit Dark Red, Golden), peeled and shredded (food processor or coarse grater)
½ red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 green apple (Granny Smith), thinly sliced or julienned (or coarsely grated)
⅓ cup raisins (sulfite-free organic, soaked 5 min in warm water if firm)
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), lightly toasted
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely minced
Optional: 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely minced
Optional: ¼ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
Orange-cumin dressing
3 tbsp single-estate extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp Ceylon cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Yogurt sauce (served alongside)
½ cup raw whole-milk yogurt or sheep's milk yogurt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch sea salt
Optional: 1 tbsp fresh mint or dill, finely minced
Method
Make the dressing. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified.
Build the slaw. In a large bowl, combine shredded beet, red onion, apple, soaked drained raisins, toasted pumpkin seeds, and cilantro.
Pour dressing over and toss thoroughly until everything is well-coated. Don't dress too early — beet juice will eventually break down the apple if left dressed too long; serve within 1 hour for best texture.
Make the yogurt sauce. Whisk together yogurt, lemon, salt, and optional herbs.
Serve. Spoon slaw onto plates. Add a dollop of yogurt sauce alongside (or drizzle over the top).
Enhancement Suggestions
Quick-pickled red onion instead of raw — soak thinly sliced onion in apple cider vinegar + pinch salt 20 min for a brighter, less harsh flavor.
Orange supremes (peeled orange segments) in addition to juice — adds visual color and texture variety.
Toasted pistachios in addition to or instead of pumpkin seeds — Mediterranean-Persian elevation.
Pomegranate seeds scattered across — visual + bright tart flavor.
Preserved lemon finely minced and stirred into the dressing — distinctly Moroccan.
Fresh dill alongside cilantro — herbaceous complexity.
Roasted golden beets for half the beets — adds warmth and Maillard depth alongside the raw element.
Sumac dusted across the top — bright tart flavor that pairs perfectly with the cumin-coriander spice profile.
Sourcing: Beets, red onion, green apple, fresh cilantro from a local farmers' market or CSA share at peak season — heritage beet varieties (Chioggia striped, Detroit Dark Red, Golden, Bull's Blood) carry significantly more flavor than commodity. Backyard beets are easy to grow; cilantro is one of the easiest windowsill crops. Sulfite-free organic raisins: Newman's Own Organic or local farmers' market dried fruit vendor. Raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas): local farmers' market or Latin American grocery; for shipped, Living Tree Community or Go Raw (sprouted varieties). Spices: Burlap & Barrel, Diaspora Co., or Spicewalla — cumin from Diaspora Co. specifically (single-origin Indian, dramatically more flavorful). Ceylon cinnamon from Burlap & Barrel or Diaspora Co. Single-estate extra virgin olive oil like Piro. Raw whole-milk yogurt: local raw-dairy producer or Amish creamery; for sheep's milk yogurt specifically, Bellwether Farms or Old Chatham Sheepherding Company. Raw honey from local apiarist. Oranges and lemons from local farmers' market in subtropical regions; backyard trees in USDA 9+. Optional preserved lemon (for enhancement): Mymouné (Lebanese small-batch) or homemade.