This beetroot and feta salad with balsamic dressing 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 feta salad recipe worthy of accompanying plenty of main courses.
If you also need a carb-based salad try this green bean & potato salad.
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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 and feta salad with balsamic dressing as it is 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 feta salad should become a regular favourite.
Why you’ll love this salad
- The recipe is naturally gluten-free and can easily be adapted for nut-free and vegan diets.
- It’s especially quick and simple to prepare (10 minutes).
- And it can be made ahead of time.
- This is a vibrant and bold veggie salad that tastes fantastic – it is sweet, salty, tangy and fresh tasting.
- Balsamic dressing imparts a wonderful mellow yet tangy flavour without overpowering the dish.
- It’s a lovely mayonnaise-free salad.
If you’re a secret beetroot lover take a look at my recipes for raw beet and fennel salad, black lentil and beetroot pie, beetroot hummous & chickpea sandwiches and beetroot and horseradish soup. They are sure to impress.
Ingredients notes
Beetroot: not surprisingly, beetroot is the star of the show in this salad. Either cook your own beets (instructions given below) or use a pack of vacuum-packed pre-cooked ones. If using the latter, ensure they are plain and do not come flavoured or pickled.
Balsamic vinegar: this 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.
Nuts: I’ve used a mix of almonds and hazelnuts to give a flavour boost and add some vital crunch to the texture of this feta and beetroot salad. Other nuts would work well 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.
How to roast beetroot
The recipe for this feta and beetroot salad assumes that your beetroot has been pre-cooked. My favourite way to cook beetroot is to roast it and it’s certainly my preferred option for this salad. Here’s how to do it:
- 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 slightly, 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 instead of boiling it as more of the nutrients are retained. It’s also not too messy and the cooking process concentrates the flavour of the beets, bringing out the inherent natural sweetness.
There are other ways to cook beetroot though – try boiling or steaming it instead.
How to make beetroot feta salad
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
- This beetroot feta salad is best served within 10 minutes of making it as the liquid ingredients will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the feta will turn pink if it is made in advance.
- Chop the beetroot into wedges or slices for a chunkier salad.
- If your beetroot has been refrigerated, let it come to room temperature to allow the full flavour to shine.
- The beetroot doesn’t have to be cold, it can be served warm.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
Beetroot comes loaded with nutrients, providing fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B9 (folate), manganese, potassium and iron. Health benefits associated with the regular consumption of beets include improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and better athletic performance. To gain the most nutrients, eat beetroot raw (try my raw beet salad or my raw beet smoothie), juice it or roast it. Avoid boiling your beets though.
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.
Variations
This beetroot feta salad is easy to adapt to accommodate differing dietary requirements and taste preferences:
- 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 makes excellent Greek-style cheese.
- Not keen on feta cheese? It is the best cheese for this recipe in my opinion, but if you really can’t go there then try some creamy goats cheese or a punchy blue cheese such as Roquefort. Don’t go for anything mild in flavour as an alternative.
- Try sprinkling a few pumpkin seeds on too for extra taste, bite and nutrition.
- Swap the mint for chives, dill or flat-leaf parsley.
- Replace the balsamic with apple cider vinegar if you find balsamic vinegar a little too intense for your tastes.
- 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 indulgence.
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Beetroot and Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
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
Jane
Lovely flavoursome pretty salad
Jane Saunders
Hi Jane – thanks so much. It’s a lovely simple salad isn’t it? So pleased you’ve enjoyed it.