Amer's Salad Recipe

Prepare rocca

Wash the rocca leaves thoroughly in cold water, spin or pat dry, then transfer to a large salad bowl or platter. Remove any thick stems or damaged leaves.

Prepare beetroot

If using whole raw beets: trim greens, wash, wrap in foil (or place in a covered baking dish), roast at 200°C / 400°F for 45–60 minutes until tender when pierced with a skewer. Let cool, peel, and slice into 1/4-inch (6 mm) wedges or bite-sized cubes. If using pre-cooked beets, slice or cube to the same size and pat dry.

Prepare avocado

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, score the flesh in a cross-hatch pattern without cutting the skin, then scoop out chunks with a spoon. Immediately lightly toss avocado pieces with a few drops of lemon juice to prevent browning if not dressing right away.

Assemble salad

Arrange the rocca on the serving bowl, scatter the beetroot pieces evenly over the leaves, distribute avocado chunks, and sprinkle the pomegranate arils and toasted walnuts on top. If using, crumble the feta or goat cheese over the salad.

Make dressing

In a small bowl or jar, combine the lemon juice, honey (or maple), and Dijon mustard. Whisk or shake to blend. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking (or add to jar and shake vigorously) until emulsified. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper; taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as desired.

Dress salad

Just before serving, drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing evenly over the assembled salad. Toss gently with tongs to coat leaves and ingredients without mashing the avocado. Add more dressing as needed to taste.

Serve

Finish with a few extra pomegranate arils and walnut pieces for visual appeal. Serve immediately so avocado stays fresh and rocca remains crisp.