Eric Ripert’s Beet Terrine Recipe

Using both red and golden beets creates such a pretty cross-section that when sliced, this could be mistaken for a dessert on sight. Cooking the beets in water and vinegar makes them less sweet and easy to slice when cooled, which creates the clean layers in the terrine. You can find vegan cream cheese in many supermarkets or online. Once sliced, you can serve the terrine as is, with a simple side salad, or even on a piece of toasted bread.

Beet Terrine

Serves 12

Ingredients

6 to 8 medium red beets (approximately 2 pounds)

6 to 8 medium yellow beets (approximately 2 pounds)

3 quarts water

2 quarts distilled white vinegar

Fine sea salt

24 ounces vegan cream cheese, at room temperature

Freshly ground white pepper

Special Equipment

12-inch terrine mold

Directions

Wash and scrub the beets, then place them in a large pot. Add the water and vinegar, season generously with salt, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook the beets until they are easily pierced with a knife, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on their size. Once they are tender, remove from the heat and let cool in the liquid.

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and, using a spatula, stir it until it is soft and spreadable. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Once the beets have cooled, remove the skins. I recommend wearing gloves to keep them from staining your hands.

Cover a cutting board with parchment to keep it from getting stained, then carefully slice the beets into ¼-inch slices, making sure to keep the colors separate. Once sliced, transfer them to paper towels to drain for at least 10 minutes.

Splash a small amount of water into the terrine mold. Using a long sheet of plastic wrap, carefully line the mold, making sure the wrap comes all the way up the sides with at least 3 inches of overhang.

Start with a layer of red beets on the bottom, letting them overlap slightly. Then, using a flexible spatula, spread a thin layer of cream cheese evenly over the beets.

Add another layer of red beets over the cream cheese, followed by another layer of cream cheese. Keep layering until the terrine is half-full.

Repeat the process with the yellow beets until the terrine is filled, ending with a layer of yellow beets on top.

Wrap the terrine and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Using the plastic wrap to help keep the terrine intact, remove it from the mold, then gently unwrap.

To slice, dip a clean kitchen towel in hot water, then wipe it along the blade of a long, thin knife. Carefully slice through the terrine, transfer to plates, and serve.

Excerpted from ‘Mindful Cooking,’ copyright © 2026 by Eric Ripert. Photography copyright by Nigel Parry. Used by permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.