Roasted Beet & Parsnip Salad with Petimezi and Goat Cheese

This warm roasted beet and parsnip salad isn't a traditional Greek dish — but it is built entirely from the Greek pantry. Single-estate extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate balsamic from Agiorgitiko grapes, petimezi made from slow-reduced grape must. These are ancient ingredients that have been finding their way into honest, seasonal cooking for centuries. This recipe is just the latest chapter.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 35–45 minutes | Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a main

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main

For the roasted vegetables:

• 4 medium beets — mix of red and golden, peeled and cut into even wedges
• 3 large parsnips, peeled and cut into chunky cubes
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunky cubes
• 3–4 tablespoons Kores Estate Manaki Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2–3 tablespoons Organic Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
• Flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For finishing:

• A light drizzle of Organic Petimezi | Greek Grape Molasses
• 3 oz (80g) soft goat cheese, at room temperature
• Seeds of ½ a pomegranate

Instructions

1. Prep your vegetables.

Peel and cut the beets, parsnips, and carrots into even chunky cubes and wedges — roughly 1½ to 2 inches. Uniform sizing matters here; it means everything finishes at the same time. Pat the vegetables dry with a kitchen towel before seasoning. Moisture on the surface will steam rather than roast, and you want caramelized edges, not soft ones.

2. Season and coat.

Spread the vegetables across a large roasting pan in a single layer — give them room and don't crowd the pan. Drizzle the olive oil all around, then the pomegranate balsamic. Season well with flaky salt and freshly cracked pepper and massage everything together with your hands until every piece is evenly coated. The oil should coat, not saturate — just enough that nothing is dry going into the oven. The balsamic adds an immediate depth and a gentle acidity that draws out the natural sweetness of the roots as they roast — and echoes the pomegranate kernels you'll finish with at the table.

3. Roast.

Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 35–45 minutes, turning once halfway through. You're looking for caramelized, slightly crisped edges and an interior that yields to a skewer with just a little resistance. Soft, but not collapsing. Pull them before they get there — they'll carry a little heat out of the oven.

4. Plate.

Mound the warm vegetables onto a serving platter. Don't over-arrange — let them settle naturally into a loose, generous pile.

5. Finish and serve.

Drizzle the petimezi in a light zig zag over the top of the mound — just enough to thread across the vegetables, a thin ribbon of sweetness that ties everything together without overwhelming. Add dollops of soft goat cheese and a scatter of pomegranate kernels across the dish.

What you get is a marriage of flavors that holds together without any one element taking over: the earthy sweetness of the roots and petimezi, the bright tartness of the pomegranate, the creamy tang of the goat cheese. Savory, sweet, tart — each bite finds its own balance.

Serve warm.

A Note on the Olive Oil

The olive oil you use here is not a background player. It is the first flavor the vegetables absorb and the last warmth you taste. We use our Kores Estate Manaki EVOO — a PDO-certified, single-estate Greek extra virgin from the Asklepion region of Argolis, cold-extracted from hand-harvested Manaki olives. Its flavor is creamy and buttery with a gently peppery finish, with just enough body to hold up to high-heat roasting without losing its character.

A Note on the Pomegranate Balsamic

Our Organic Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar is a years-aged balsamic made from Agiorgitiko grapes — the same variety behind our petimezi — blended with organic pomegranate. Rich, complex, and deeply tart, it caramelizes beautifully under high heat, which is exactly what you want here. It threads a flavor through the dish from beginning to end: in the roast, in the drizzle, in the kernels. Nothing is out of place.

A Note on the Petimezi

Petimezi is Greek grape molasses — one of the oldest sweeteners in the Mediterranean pantry. Made by slowly reducing the must of Agiorgitiko grapes, it is thick, rich, and complex: think pomegranate molasses and aged balsamic, but rounder, less acidic, more ancient somehow. A little goes a long way. Once you have it in your kitchen, you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.

Make It Your Own

The vegetables here are a guide, not a rule. Swap in celeriac, turnips, or fennel depending on what the season offers. Two varieties of beets — one red, one golden — make for a more interesting plate; roast them on separate sides of the pan so the red doesn't bleed onto everything else. The parsnips are non-negotiable.

Serve It With

This salad pairs beautifully with roasted lamb, grilled fish, or a simple plate of good bread and aged cheese. It also holds well at room temperature, making it a reliable addition to any mezze spread or holiday table.

All ingredients used in this recipe are available at Olive Crate.