I have a lovely seasonal recipe for you today, a Roasted Beetroot Salad with Feta and Walnuts. This salad is so easy to make and tastes great. Gorgeous rich roasted beets with creamy feta and crunchy walnuts, this also comes with a tangy orange mustard dressing and has all the flavours of harvest. It's earthy, satisfying and a little on the healthy side. But don't let that put you off.
I have been a fan of beetroot since I was a kid, back then it was mostly pickled beetroot I was used to. I loved it though, on salads and in sandwiches. Little did I know back then that I would end up living on the edge of the Fens, a place where a lot of the UK's beetroot is grown. And now, living in a small village, tractors pulling trailers overflowing with beets is a common sight. Some of these beets end up in my local farm shop, and that's where I buy them, still with the mud on, and the leaves still bright.
These days I like to roast beetroot, I think it is especially good roasted, it has an earthy taste but also a sweetness and once roasted beetroot has a lovely smooth texture. This roasted beetroot salad has all of this, earthy flavours from the beets, smooth creamy feta cheese, crunchy seeds and walnuts and then a little sweetness from the orange, add in a little freshness from some mint and you have a lovely salad. Top it all off with a very quick and easy mustard and orange dressing.
This roasted beetroot salad is:
- High in fibre
- Full of flavour
- It's got good fats - nuts, seeds
- Easy to make
- Vegetarian
- Naturally gluten-free
- Beets are a powerful superfood, good for your tummy and your heart
Tips for roasting beetroot:
- Use smaller beets, they will be sweeter and more tender, bigger bits can be woody in the centre.
- I cut my beets into wedges when I roast them, a good sprinkling of salt brings out their sweetness too.
- There is no need to peel them, just give them a good wash.
- You will need a hot oven so make sure your oven is fully preheated before you cook them.
- If you're lucky enough to find beets with crisp leaves and stems, then don't throw those away. The stems are great chopped then added to salads, the leaves are great added to stir-fries or steamed.
Need More Tasty Lunch Dishes
Did you make this Roast Beetroot Salad recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Roasted Beetroot Salad with Feta and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets (450g) washed, then topped and tailed and cut in half lengthways then each half cut into 4 wedges
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion (160g) cut into quarters
- 125 g mixed salad leaves
- 90 g feta cheese
- 30 g walnut halves
- 1 heaped tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 medium orange peeled then cut into segments
- 2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves removed then chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
For the orange mustard dressing
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- A small pinch of cracked black pepper
- A good pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/392 F, please note I use a fan assisted electric oven. Please adjust to the oven you have.
- Place the beetroot on a large baking tray, add the salt and pepper then pour over the olive oil. Make sure all the beetroot is covered in oil.Roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes, depending on how chunky your wedges are. After 10 minutes add the onion to the tray and cover in some of the oil. Return the tray to the oven and cook until the beets are cooked. The beets are done when you can easily pierce the beets with a sharp knife.Once cooked leave the beets and red onion to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
- To assemble the salad, place the leaves in a large serving bowl, add the mint and onion and toss. Then add the beetroot, crumble over the walnuts and feta. Add the orange segments and scatter over the pumpkin seeds.
- You can add the dressing to the salad just before serving or you can leave it for everyone to add their own dressing.
To make the dressing:
- Whisk together the orange juice and Dijon mustard. Then whisk in the olive oil, add the salt and pepper.
Notes
- Calories are approximate and include the dressing. Calories without dressing are 226 per person based on 4 servings.
- Cooking time will depend on the size of your beetroot wedges, the bigger the wedge the longer it will take.
- Not everyone is keen on citrus fruit with cheese, however, the feta in this dish is very smooth so we didn't find it a problem, also I would make sure your orange is sweet rather than bitter or sour as a sour orange may not work as well.
- This salad can be kept in the fridge for a day or two, make sure you keep the salad dressing separate. For best results, I would also keep the beetroot separate.
Nutrition
Loved this roast beetroot salad. took it to a potluck dinner and received lots of compliments, thanks Michelle. wish I’d had a larger, flat, white plate or platter to serve it on because it is so colourful and beautiful.
Thank you so much Josephine. I'm so glad to hear that it went down so well 🙂
Tasty recipe. I halved the oil and added a little lemon juice to the dressing, giving it a bit more punch and less fat. I also added a tin of cooked lentils for different texture and taste and to make it more substantial after reducing the oil. Yum.
Thanks so much Libby, I'm so glad you liked it.
Loved this recipe, so fresh and tasty. The roasted beetroots are delightful.
Thanks so much Amruta, I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
yummy and healthy,thank u
Thanks Jay, I'm so glad you like it.
Absolutely fabulous! The orange segments and orange based dressing was a lovely surprise. The mix of ingredients worked surprisingly well.
Hi Carole, thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Will this work with other roasted veg e.g. sweet potatoes, courgette? Sounds delicious!
Hi Yvonne, I haven't tried this exact recipe with sweet potatoes or courgette but I'm sure either would work really well.
Great salad but I disagree about not putting the dressing on. In fact leave out the greens until right before serving but let the beets soak in the flavour. Awesome.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Sandi. Great tip about the greens, I'll try that next time I make it 🙂