Raw Candy-Striped Beet Ravioli

Raw Candy-Striped Beet Ravioli – This early spring vegan recipe is fresh and satisfying. Serve it up as an entrée or an appetizer at your next party!

This recipe is a bit of a transitional recipe between Spring and Winter. Over the past week there were signs of Spring officially making it’s appearance, with crocuses peeking through the soil, the seedlings growing under cover at my CSA,  the weather report flirting with a 60 degree forecast, and Easter being just a couple of weeks away. Then there was today – the actual first day of spring – arriving with 5 inches of snow, reminding me that we haven’t quite shaken off winter. Also, the food that’s available on my table is still very much Wintery – root vegetables and Winter greens. At this stage of the season I enjoy Springing-up my Winter vegetables with raw recipes and brighter flavors.

Today’s recipe is a raw, vegan, and grain-free recipe for Candy-Striped Beet Ravioli. If you’re very much a carnivore and skeptical about all things vegan, don’t be put off by the vegan-ness of this recipe because I promise that it’s savory and fresh. I also love this recipe because it uses produce that’s available in March and early April, makes these pretty beets the star of the the show, and the colors say Spring! My family has eaten this recipe as an entree with a fresh micogreen salad. It would also make a great appetizer at your Spring party!

Raw Candy-Striped Beet Ravioli

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Herb Oil:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh minced parsley
• 2 tsp fresh minced chives
• 1/8 tsp salt
• a pinch of black pepper

Walnut “Cheese” Filling:

• 1 C English walnuts
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp white miso
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Beets:

• 1 lb candy striped beets (red beets work too, but they’re not as fun)

Directions

1. To make your herb oil, mince parsley and chives and combine in a small dish with 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. This will taste best if it’s given a few hours to infuse.

2. Combine all over your of your walnut “cheese” ingredients and lightly blend using a hand blender or a food processor. You’ll want the ingredients to begin to cream, but allow some chunks of walnut to remain.

3. Peel and wash your beets. If you don’t have candy striped beets available, red beets will work, but they tend to have a stronger flavor and are little messier. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the beets, about 1 mm ( 1/10th of a cm) thick.

4. Scoop and spread 1 1/2 tsp of your “cheese” on half of your beets.

5. Top with the remaining beets.

6. Sprinkle with your herb-infused oil and serve!