A simple beetroot salad with feta, walnuts and dill. This salad has the perfect balance of earthy sweet, tangy, and salty flavors! Plus it’s super healthy, easily adaptable and can be made ahead and kept for 3 days in the fridge.
This vibrant salad is easy to make (only 6 ingredients, plus salt and pepper!) and makes the perfect healthy side dish. The earthiness of the beets pair perfectly with the saltiness of feta and a deliciously simple dressing, made with either pomegranate molasses or balsamic dressing.
Dressed with pomegranate molasses or balsamic
In this beetroot salad recipe, I use a simple dressing made with olive oil and pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate molasses is most commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine and is made by simply boiling and reducing pomegranate juice into a thickened syrup. The result is an intense sweet-sour flavor that is often compared to balsamic vinegar. And since there is truly is no better substitute for pomegranate molasses than balsamic vinegar, you can use them interchangeably for this recipe.
How to cook beets:
If you are looking for super fast, then you can use precooked beets for this recipe.
Boiling and steaming
Otherwise, as far as cooking goes, steaming the beets using a pressure cooker is probably the quickly method. Another fast method is to boil beets, however recommend leaving the skin on and then peeling them after to prevent the loss of pigment. This method will take 30-50 minutes depending on the size. Which is not much less then steaming the beats using a steamer basket in a large pot (35-55 minutes).
Roasting
My preferred method is roasting beets, as I find it brings out more of their natural sweetness and creates a more complex flavor. You can do in a 200-225°C (180-205°C fan-assisted) oven. Bake wrapped in foil or place in a covered baking dish for 45-65 mins depending on size. Alternatively, go for the quicker roasting method (which also adds the most flavor) by peeling and cutting the beets into wedges and then roast for 25-30 minutes.
How to adapt this beetroot salad with feta
If you want to upgrade this simple beetroot salad with feta, you can do so by adding or trading out some of the ingredients. Here are a few ideas:
- Serve over a bed of arugula or baby spinach leaves
- Or if you want something more substantial, try tossed it with some cooked quinoa or bulgur.
- Trade out dill for fresh flat-leaf parsley or mint (or both)
- Try hazelnuts instead of walnuts
- Add a little red onion (soak cold water with a squeeze of lemon for 15 minutes to mellow out its bite)
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds
Looking for other ideas with beetroot?
Try one of these delicious beetroot recipes:
- Roasted Beetroot Salad with Harissa-Yoghurt
- Roasted Beet and Lentil Salad with Dijon-Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Coconut Ginger Beet Soup
- Beetroot Curry with Coconut Milk & Spinach
- Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets, Feta + Pine Nuts
P.S. don’t toss those beet greens!
They’re terrific in their own right. Use them like spinach or mangold. Simply rinse them well and sauté them with a little olive oil and garlic for a tasty, healthy side dish. Or try one of these recipes using beet greens:
Beetroot Salad with Feta & Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 bunch beets, trimmed (4-5 medium beets, ca. 650 g)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 75 g crumbled feta cheese, or to taste
- 1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and. coarsely chopped (25 g)
Method
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Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C (180°C fan-assisted).
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Tightly wrap the beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet in the middle of the over until tender when pierced with a knife, 1 to 1 1/4 hours (depending on size). (Alternatively, use a covered baking dish, such as a casserole or Dutch oven brushed with olive oil to cook the beets in the oven).
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When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, rubbing the skin off with a paper towel, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into 1,5 cm wide cubes. Transfer to a serving bowl to further cool.
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Meanwhile, in a small bowl, which together the oil, pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
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Once the beets have reached room temperature, toss them with the dressing, dill and half the feta. Serve sprinkled with the walnuts, remaining feta and a little extra dill, to garnish.
Notes
For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.
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