Warm flatbreads are topped with creamy labneh, thin slices of roasted beet and juicy orange. Homemade dukkah adds toasted nuts and spices; lemon keeps everything fresh.
Beetroot has an earthy flavor and becomes sweeter and more concentrated when roasted. Roasting the beets whole keeps them juicy; their skin protects the flesh from drying out. The cooking time depends on their size: small beets are done sooner than large ones. A thin knife should slide in without much resistance. Let them cool until they’re easy to handle, then cut them into thin slices so they sit neatly on the flatbread.
In the Netherlands, beetroot is mainly in season in late summer and fall, but it’s available for much of the year. Choose beets that are about the same size so they cook more evenly. Orange adds juicy, sweet-and-sour fruitiness to balance the earthy beets; lemon juice makes the labneh and the whole dish taste fresher. Cut the segments over a bowl if you want to catch the juice, and spoon it over the beets if you like.
Labneh is strained yogurt with a thick, slightly tart texture. Store-bought labneh works well; Greek yogurt is a good alternative, though it’s often a little less firm. If you want to strain the yogurt, do this ahead of time in a strainer lined with a clean cloth in the fridge. The flatbreads are only warmed: this keeps them soft and pliable without melting the cool labneh. A skillet is handy, but an oven works too.
Dukkah gives the soft bread a dry, crunchy contrast. The mixture of nuts, sesame and spices is coarsely chopped, not ground into a powder, so you still get distinct pieces. Hazelnuts can be replaced with almonds. Toast the nuts, sesame and spices briefly and separately, because small seeds brown faster than nuts. Take them out of the pan as soon as they become fragrant and let them cool before chopping them finely.
Serve the flatbreads as a lunch to share, with extra orange segments or a simple green salad on the side. Add the dukkah to the dish at the very last moment so it stays crunchy. It’s best to store leftovers separately, covered, in the fridge; use the roasted beets within three days and follow the storage instructions on the labneh packaging. Reheat the flatbreads just before serving, then add the toppings.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Wash the beets and pat them dry. Place them on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and fold the foil closed to make a packet.
Roast the beets for 45–60 minutes, depending on their size, until a thin knife slides easily into the center. Let them cool until they’re easy to handle. Rub off the skin and cut the beets into thin slices.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, tossing regularly. Transfer them out of the pan. Toast the sesame seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds separately, each until fragrant. Let everything cool, then roughly chop or pound it together. Mix with a pinch of the salt.
Peel the orange and cut out the segments between the membranes, or cut the orange into thin wedges. Toss the beets with the lemon juice, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the rest of the salt.
Warm the flatbreads in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds per side, or heat them briefly in the oven. Spread them with labneh and top with the beets and orange.
Sprinkle the dukkah and mint leaves over the flatbreads and serve immediately.
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