Beetroot Salad Recipe

Prepare beets

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Trim beet greens leaving about 1 cm of stem, scrub beets under cold water to remove dirt. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast 45–60 minutes, or until a knife slips easily into the center (time depends on beet size). Alternatively, for faster cooking, place whole beets in a pot of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook 30–40 minutes until tender. Drain and let cool.

Peel and slice

When beets are cool enough to handle, unwrap (if roasted) and slip skin off with a small knife or rub with a paper towel; if boiled the skin should slide off. Cut beets into 1/4–1/2 inch (6–12 mm) thick wedges or bite-size cubes. Transfer to a bowl and season with 1/2 tsp of the sea salt and 1/4 tsp of the black pepper; set aside to mingle while you make the dressing.

Prepare other salad components

Place mixed salad greens in a large serving bowl. Thinly slice 1/2 cup red onion and separate into rings. Roughly chop 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (toast in a dry skillet over medium heat 3–5 minutes, shaking frequently until fragrant and lightly browned). Crumble 100 g feta cheese. Chop fresh dill and parsley and set aside.

Assemble salad

Add the warm (or room-temperature) sliced beets to the bowl with salad greens. Scatter the red onion, toasted walnuts, crumbled feta, chopped dill, and parsley over the beets and greens. Toss gently to combine so the beets don’t stain everything too uniformly; keep some visual contrast.

Season to finish

Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining sea salt if needed (add up to another 1/2 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper. Wait to add final salt until after dressing to avoid over-salting.

In a small bowl or jar combine 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk vigorously or shake in a jar until the dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly (about 30 seconds). Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness to preference.

Just before serving, drizzle dressing evenly over the assembled salad—start with about 3/4 of the dressing, toss gently, then add more if desired. Serve immediately so greens remain crisp.