Roasted Beetroot Feta Salad

Vibrant and bold, this roast beetroot feta salad has it all. It’s got flavour, simplicity, texture and beauty all in one dish. Oh, and let’s not forget the most delicious vinaigrette recipe too – I’m now using the dressing on just about everything.

There’s the wonderful combination of naturally sweet beetroot and smooth, salty feta. These two were made to be together – make this salad and try to deny it.

Now add some crunchy nuts, fresh salad leaves and an easy salad dressing and you have a kicking salad you’ll be proud to serve up everywhere.

Prepare to see more salads coming to Sugar Salt Magic but I’m not talking rabbit food here. In my world, salads need to be flavoursome and substantial, just like this warm potato asparagus salad or spiced roast sweet potato salad.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

• Beetroot (2): the star of the show. The earthiness of roasted beetroots really shines but you can corner-cut here if you like – this is really good using vac-packed beetroots that are already cooked for you too. Don’t use tinned beetroots as they come packed in pickling juices, which would add a competing flavour element.
• Feta (5): A creamy feta is best, though any will work. In Austalia, Danish style feta, as shown in the photos of the finished dish, tends to be much smoother in both texture and flavour. In parts of the world it may be called Danish white for legal reasons. The one shown above is a crumbly feta, so use your preference.
• Rocket (Arugula) (6): This peppery leaf is all you need. You can swap it for baby spinach if you prefer.
• Walnuts (4): They have a slightly bitter flavour which goes well here and the crunch is the perfect textural addition. Other nuts will also work – try roughly chopped almonds.
• Pomgranate arils (seeds): Optional but absolutely delicious, these give a little pop of juice and sweetness and they look like little jewels.
• The easy salad dressing: I currently want to drench everything in this mixture of olive oil (8), balsamic vinegar (3), maple syrup (1) and Dijon mustard (7).

How to roast beetroot

There are many ways to cook beetroot, but roasting is a favourite for good reason. It brings out the earthiness of this hearty root veg and all the flavour stays in the vegetable.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

1. Take 3 large beetroot (or the equivalent weight in small ones), scrub them well all over, then cut off the stems and roots.
2. Cut each one in roughly 2 inch size pieces (2-3 pieces each), then wrap them all up loosely in a large sheet of aluminium foil.
3. Roast in a hot oven for 45-60 minutes. They’re cooked, when a fork or skewer can easily pierce into the flesh.
4. As soon as they’re cool enough to handle, don some latex gloves and peel away and discard the skin.

The best salad dressing ever

Big call? Maybe, but with 4 ingredients and the perfect balance of sweet and tart, this dressing works well on a variety of salads.

And what could be easier than combining ingredients in small glass jar, screw on the lid and shaking vigorously? Job done.

The result is a syrupy balsamic dressing that’s perfect amounts tangy and sweet and thick enough to grip the salad leaves so you don’t end up with a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.

Assembling the salad

Another wonderful feature of this beetroot feta salad is the ability to prep it 2-3 days ahead of time.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

1. Roast, peel and chop the beetroot and place it in a covered bowl.
2. Mix up the salad dressing in a small jar.
3. Wash the salad leaves, shake them dry and place them in the serving bowl with a double layer of paper towel at the bottom.
4. Remove the seeds of the pomegranate from the skin and place them in an airtight container.

Place all the components in the fridge for up to 2-3 days prior to serving.

When it comes time to serve, remove the paper towel and dress the leaves in the dressing. Scatter the beetroot pieces, walnuts and pomegranate seeds over the top. Break up the feta into large chunks and scatter that over too.

How to store roasted beet salad

Once dressed the leaves will begin to wilt so they won’t keep quite so well. Everything else will keep fine for a few days, so you could remove that and discard the leaves.

Alternatively, don’t dress the leaves and allow your guests to dress their own salad at the table.

This roasted beet salad is just as satisfying on it’s own as it is served as a side dish. It’s great with grilled meats right through to a roast and this vibrant salad will make a stunning side to a festive meal too.

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