Easy Beetroot Salad

This Easy Beetroot Salad features rocket, beetroot, walnuts, feta, mint and a simple balsamic dressing. It’s incredibly easy to make and takes just 10 minutes to assemble – but looks stunning. Perfect for barbecues, buffets, dinner parties, pot-lucks or any time you need a salad that looks impressive, but is secretly incredibly easy to make. (Serves 4-6,depending on appetite and accompaniments.)

Course Side, Side Dish

Cuisine British

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings people

Calories 274kcal

Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Easy Beetroot Salad

60 g rocket (AKA arugula)
500 g pre-cooked baby beetroot cut into bite-size pieces (NOT the kind that has been pickled in vinegar – see Notes 1 & 2)
150 g feta cheese crumbled
75 g walnuts crumbled
A few sprigs of fresh mint chopped finely (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Balsamic Dressing

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Place the rocket on a large serving platter. Push the rocket slightly to the sides, so there is a bit of a hole in the middle. (This is just to help the salad look more attractive on the platter.)
Place the quartered beetroot in the centre of the platter – partly in the hole and partly on the rocket, but don’t go all the way to the edge, so there is an attractive ring of rocket all the way round the edge.
Place all the dressing ingredients in a jam jar (or similar). Screw on the lid and give it a good shake. Drizzle HALF the dressing over the beetroot.
Crumble the feta cheese over the beetroot, then crumble the walnuts over the feta.
Finally, scatter the chopped mint, plus a little salt and black pepper over everything.
Serve immediately. Put the remaining half of the dressing on the table for anyone who wants to add extra dressing to their salad.

Notes

It’s very important to use pre-cooked beetroots that have NOT been pickled in vinegar. If you use pickled beetroots this salad will be too vinegary. It is usually very easy to buy cooked / non-pickled beetroot from the supermarket these days.
If you cannot find pre-cooked beetroot, you can buy raw beetroot and roast it in the oven instead. First cut the raw beetroot into bite-size pieces, toss in a little olive oil, then roast at 200C (180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F) for 15-20 minutes or until done to your liking. Leave to cool before assembling your salad (or serve hot if you prefer!)
Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition