This beetroot salad is a great combination of flavours and textures. Earthy beets team up with crunchy nuts, tangy feta, mellow balsamic and lively mint to create a quick & easy beetroot and feta salad worthy of accompanying plenty of main courses.
I've always felt that beetroot really is one of those vegetables that people seem to love or hate. If you fall into the love camp, then you should enjoy this fabulous beetroot salad as it's loaded up with plenty of fresh flavours and a mixture of soft and crunchy textures.
If you are looking for an exciting side salad to serve at BBQs, parties or just at normal mealtimes, this beetroot and feta salad should become a regular favourite.
Why This Side Salad is Worth Making?
- This beetroot salad with feta is especially quick and simple to prepare (10 minutes)
- It can be made ahead of time
- The dressing is light and kept to a minimum so it does not overpower other side dishes and mains
- It tastes fantastic - balsamic vinegar imparts a wonderful mellow yet tangy flavour
- And it's relatively healthy
- It's naturally gluten-free and can be easily adapted for nut-free and vegan diets
If you like the sound of this beetroot and feta salad you may also like my raw beet and fennel salad.
Ingredients
Not surprisingly, beetroot is the star of the show in this salad. Either cook your own beets or use a pack of pre-cooked ones. If using the latter, ensure they are plain and do not come flavoured or pickled.
Balsamic vinegar is used to add a little tang to the salad but without sacrificing mellow flavour. I know that standard table vinegar goes hand-in-hand with many a pickled beetroot recipe, but do not use it here. The sharp flavour is not well-suited to the rest of the ingredients in this recipe. Only balsamic will do, I'm afraid.
I've used a mix of almonds and hazelnuts, but other nuts would work too, such as walnuts, pecans or pistachio nuts. They can be left out if serving to a nut allergy sufferer.
Feta cheese adds a fantastic salty bite to this salad and really brings the other flavours together. Few other kinds of cheese make a worthy substitute for it in this beetroot salad. At a push, a punchy goats cheese or strong blue cheese (such as Roquefort) could work. Don't go for anything mild in flavour as an alternative.
How to Roast Beetroot
My favourite way to cook beetroot is to roast it:
- Trim the stems from the beets and wipe off any soil or dirt
- Wrap loosley in foil and place in a roasting tin
- Cook in a preheated oven (200C/ 400F/ GM 6) for 45-60 minutes
- Check they are fully cooked by poking a sharp knife into the centre - they should feel soft
- Cook for longer if necessary (adding a splash of water if they are beginning to look dry)
- Let cool, then use a sharp knife to scrape off the skins (wear rubber gloves to avoid staining hands)
I find the timings above suitable for cooking small-medium sized bulbs. Larger beets may take up to 90 minutes to soften.
I prefer roasting beetroot as it's not too messy and the cooking process concentrates the flavour and brings out its natural sweetness. There are other ways to cook beetroot though - try boiling or steaming it instead.
Step by Step Instructions
Making this beetroot and feta salad could not be simpler. Follow these steps and it will be ready in 10 minutes:
- Dice the beetroot and onion then chop half of the mint finely. Put into a mixing bowl
- Pour over the oil, balsamic and a little salt and pepper and stir until combined
- Place the beetroot mixture into a wide flat bowl. Chop the nuts, crumble the feta and finely slice the remaining mint leaves
- Scatter the toppings over the beetroot salad. Do not mix
- Serve straight away (any leftover toppings can be served in small bowls alongside for people to help themselves to extras if necessary)
Expert Tips
- Chop the beetroot into wedges or slices for a chunkier salad
- Pick a large flat bowl to serve this salad in rather than a small deep bowl. The shallower bowl enables the toppings to be scattered well without overloading the beetroot below
- Try sprinkling a few pumpkin seeds on too for extra taste, bite and nutrition
- Turn it into a stand alone lunch or dinner for 2 by serving on rocket leaves and doubling the amount of oil, balsamic and feta used. Add a handful of croutons too for a little indulgnce
- Make it nut-free - leave out the nuts and add some croutons, roasted chickpeas or pumpkin seeds (if diet allows) to replace the crunchy hit that nuts would serve up in this beetroot salad
- Make it vegan - replace the feta cheese with a suitable vegan cheese alternative. Violife make an excellent Greek style cheese
Frequently Asked Questions
Vacuum packed pre-cooked beets are very handy but nothing compares to the freshly cooked version, especially if it's homegrown. The flavour and colour just seem a little more vibrant. But when time or inclination is short, by all means use store-bought ready-cooked beets in this recipe.
Yes you can. Perform steps 1 & 2 then cover the bowl and chill until needed. Prepare the rest of the ingredients, covering and chilling as necessary (feta & mint). Bring the beetroot out of the fridge one hour before serving. Right before serving, stir and decant into a wide bowl then scatter the nuts, feta and mint.
While this salad is best eaten fresh, leftovers can certainly be stored (covered) in the fridge for 48 hours.
Expect the mint to darken and the juice of the beets to get picked up in the feta. It will be necessary to stir everything once this salad has been stored for a while to redistribute the oil and vinegar.
More Side Dishes
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Beetroot Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 300 g Cooked beetroot
- ¼ White onion about 30g
- 1 tablespoon Almonds whole, blanched
- 1 tablespoon Hazelnuts
- 30 g Feta
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 10 g Fresh mint leaves stripped from stems
- Seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Finely dice the beetroot and onion then chop half of the mint finely
- Pour over the oil, balsamic and a little salt and pepper and stir until combined
- Place the beetroot mixture into a wide flat bowl
- Chop the nuts, crumble the feta and slice the remaining mint leaves and scatter over the salad. Do not mix
- Serve straight away (any leftover toppings can be served in small bowls alongside for people to help themselves to extras if necessary)
Notes
- Chop the beetroot into wedges or slices for a chunkier salad
- Try sprinkling a few pumpkin seeds on top for extra taste, bite and nutrition
- Make it nut-free - leave out the nuts and add some croutons, roasted chickpeas or pumpkin seeds (if diet allows) to replace the crunchy hit that nuts would serve up in this beetroot salad
- Make it vegan - replace the feta cheese with a suitable vegan cheese alternative. Violife make an excellent Greek-style cheese
- This salad is best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored (covered) in the fridge for 48 hours. Expect the mint to darken and the juice of the beets to get picked up in the feta. It will be necessary to stir everything once this salad has been stored for a while to redistribute the oil and vinegar.
- Lay a large handful of rocket leaves onto each plate
- Make the salad as instructed but use double the amount of oil, balsamic and feta
- Spoon the beetroot mix over the rocket and top with the nuts, feta and mint
- Add a spoonful of pumpkin seeds and a handful of croutons too for a little indulgence
- Crusty bread would be an ideal partner to this meal to mop up the tasty juices at the end
- Trim the stems from the beets and wipe off any soil or dirt
- Wrap loosely in foil and place in a roasting tin
- Cook in a preheated oven (200C/ 400F/ GM 6) for 45-60 minutes
- Check they are fully cooked by poking a sharp knife into the centre - they should feel soft
- Cook for longer if necessary (adding a splash of water if they are beginning to look dry)
- Let cool, then use a sharp knife to scrape off the skins (wear rubber gloves to avoid staining hands)
- Perform steps 1 & 2 then cover the bowl and chill until needed
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients, covering and chilling as necessary (feta & mint)
- Bring the beetroot out of the fridge one hour before serving, then stir and decant into a wide bowl when ready
- Scatter the nuts, feta and mint over just before serving
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