Quick Beetroot Walnut Feta Salad (With Cooked Beets)
This beetroot walnut feta salad with orange is a delightful and nutritious mix of flavors and textures. It combines ready-cooked beets, crunchy walnuts, tangy feta, juicy orange, and refreshing mint. With nothing to cook, it's ready in just 15 minutes. Tossed with a 3-ingredient balsamic dressing, it's a salad to enjoy on its own or with pulses or grains stirred through, or as a side with fish or meat.
Servings: 3 (to 4 as a side, or 2 as a main with bread))
Ingredients
- 4 ounces arugula (= rocket) Or use a different kind of fresh green salad such as baby spinach or watercress.
- 9 ounces beetroot cooked and sliced into medium sized chunks (either vacuum-packed - what I usually use - or jarred, canned)
- 4.5 ounces feta cheese (= about a cup of crumbled cheese) crumbled roughly
- 2 ounces walnuts coarsely chopped (= roughly ½ cup)
- 2 oranges peeled and chopped into 12-16 pieces each
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint (Add more or less to taste.)
For the simple dressing (vinaigrette)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey (Substitute with maple syrup if you like.)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Line a large salad bowl or platter with the arugula/rocket.4 ounces arugula
- Sprinkle the chopped beetroot, crumbled feta, walnuts, chopped oranges and mint leaves over the top.9 ounces beetroot, 4.5 ounces feta cheese, 2 ounces walnuts, 2 oranges, 2 tablespoons fresh mint
- Add all dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid. Put on the lid and shake the jar until all ingredients are well combined. Alternatively, mix the dressing ingredients together well with a small whisk or a fork in a small jug.3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey
- Just before serving the salad, pour around half of the dressing over the top and toss well. Let everyone add a little more dressing at the table if they wish.
Notes
This salad is best served immediately after tossing with the dressing. Add half of the dressing before taking to the table, then let everyone serve themselves to a bit more if desired.
Beetroot: Use either vacuum-packed, canned or jarred (ready cooked). Unpickled is best. If you use pickled, you might like to add less vinegar to the dressing.
Feta: I like either an authentic Greek style feta or a creamy style such as Danish feta.
Walnuts: I prefer either walnut halves or roughly chopped, not finely chopped. Substitute with a different kind of nut such as pistachios or hazelnuts. Or skip the nuts and add seeds such as pumpkin seeds instead.
Oranges: Substitute with a stone fruit such as plum, peach or apricot, crunchy apple, strawberries or even dried cranberries.
How to serve: Serve either as a light meal on its own with bread, or as a main with grilled or roasted meat or fish. You can also make the salad more substantial by mixing in some cooked quinoa, brown rice or a different grain.
Storing: You can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a day, but bear in mind that the arugula will wilt if the dressing has already been added. It will still however taste delicious!
Nutrition
Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 718mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1446IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 349mg | Iron: 3mg
