beetroot salad

Autumn Beetroot salad

beetroot salad

I was inspired today by recent conversations with my Mum who has been eating lots of salads in her bubble.  She spoke of having beetroot in her salad which  took me back to childhood salads at my grand mothers which had iceberg lettuce, beetroot, egg, fresh herbs and more and of course with the essential condensed milk dressing served on the side. They were the sort of salads that I think of as the iconic New Zealand food of my youth.  Like most things that were good “in the day”, they are still delicious – old school salads, prawn cocktails and egg sandwiches, to name a few which when properly executed with care and quality ingredients, as they always were, are timeless.  I am not sure I am ready to return to condensed milk salad dressing yet, but who knows.

I served this salad with cheesy pan toasted sandwiches on the side which made for a delicious, light Anzac day dinner.

I think this salad makes a great starting point for lots of options such as serving as a hero side salad with a simple steak, roast chicken or salmon fillets, or by keeping it as “the meal ” and adding blue vein cheese or parmesan to the salad.

Today I cooked the beetroot in the oven at the same time as I was cooking other things, (Anzac biscuits of course!,) and dressed it with a tangy pomegranate molasses dressing.    I think you could just as easily use tinned beetroot in vinegar or supermarket pre cooked baby beetroot, or cook the beetroot in vinegary water on the stovetop, to make your salad.

SIMPLE AUTUMN BEETROOT SALAD

Serves two people as a main meal or four as a side salad and is easily scaled up or down.

Ingredients

  • 1 large beetroot washed coated lightly in oil with a sprinkle of salt, wrapped in tinfoil and cooked for approximately one hour at approx 180’c. (or any of the alternatives)
  • 4 soft boiled eggs
  • 1 bunch steamed broccolini or broccoli
  • Handful of walnuts  (optional  – lightly toast in a little salt and oil)
  • Small handful of fresh herbs such as dill, basil, parsley or tarragon.
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to finish
  • Salad greens.
  • Optional spring onions or quick pickled red onion (finely sliced and left to marinate for half an hour or more in your favourite vinegar)
  • Optional crumbled blue vein cheese or slivered parmesan cheese.

SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients

  • Two tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 4  tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • Juice of one lemon

beetroot salad

Boil eggs and leave to cool in ice water

Mix dressing ingredients and slice the cooled beetroot into the dressing and mix well.

Assemble the salad starting with lettuce then broccoli, spring onion or onion if using and half of the herbs.

beetroot salad

Lift the beetroot out of the dressing (reserve the dressing to pour over the salad just before eating) and arrange the beetroot on the salad.

Top with quartered eggs, remaining herbs, walnuts and optional cheese.

When you are ready to eat, drizzle over all the marinade/dressing from the beetroot and a grind of fresh salt and  pepper

beetroot salad

As always I hope you will try and enjoy this salad and let me know how it goes for you.

One Comment

  1. Graeme Meek

    Sounds yum,
    X Graeme

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