Beetroot Salad with Feta & Walnuts | Recipe | Elle Republic (2024)

Beetroot Salad with Feta & Walnuts | Recipe | Elle Republic (1)

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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
  • 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:

  • Asian-Style Beet Greens

5 from 2 votes

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Beetroot Salad with Feta & Walnuts

Easy beetroot salad with feta and dill tossed with pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar. A simple, vibrant, healthy and delicious side dish.

CourseSide Dish

CategoryMediterranean

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 252 kcal

Autor Elle

Ingredients

  • 1bunch beets,trimmed (4-5 medium beets, ca. 650 g)
  • 2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2tablespoonspomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
  • sea salt and ground pepper,to taste
  • 2tablespoonschopped fresh dill
  • 75gcrumbled feta cheese,or to taste
  • 1/4cupwalnuts,lightly toasted and. coarsely chopped (25 g)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C (180°C fan-assisted).

  2. 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).

  3. 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.

  4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, which together the oil, pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

  5. 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 TunesPlaylist on Spotify.

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Beetroot Salad with Feta & Walnuts | Recipe | Elle Republic (2024)

FAQs

What flavors complement beets? ›

Oranges, berries, melons, apples, pineapple, grapes, and kiwi all combine exceptionally with beet juice. The sweet and tart notes from these fruits complement the earthy vegetable flavor. Blending fruit into beetroot juice helps mellow out the intense earthy taste.

How to make beet root salad? ›

Roast until the beets are just tender when pierced with the point of a knife, about 1 1/4 hours. Unwrap the beets and let them cool. Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl to make the dressing. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.

What tastes good with beetroot? ›

Mustard's piquancy can temper beetroot's sweetness resulting in an arresting flavour profile. Complementary flavours can be found in the earthy spice realm too. The bold flavours of garlic and cumin are nicely offset by the earthy sweetness of beets, creating a delightful harmony.

What does beetroot do to the body? ›

Beetroot and its juice help your heart and lungs work better during exercise. Nitric oxide from beets increases blood flow to your muscles. Some athletes eat beetroot or drink beet juice when exercising to improve their performance. Beets are rich in folate (vitamin B9), which helps cells grow and function.

Can we eat beetroot and kiwi together? ›

Peel and slice the kiwifruit. Put it into a blender with the cut beetroot, dates and frozen raspberries (reserving some for garnish) and the non-dairy milk. Blend until smooth. Serve in glasses and garnish with the remaining frozen raspberries.

What to pair with beet salad? ›

Roasted Beet Salad Serving Suggestions

This beet and goat cheese salad is a perfect side dish for any fall or winter meal. You could enjoy it for lunch with a bowl of potato leek or butternut squash soup or serve it for dinner with pasta, risotto, pizza, or polenta.

Why do you put vinegar in beets? ›

Beets are a weekly ritual around here. Usually we boil them and toss them in a sweet sour vinaigrette and keep them in the refrigerator to eat all week. The vinegar in the dressing "pickles" the beets, helping them last longer in the fridge.

How long does beet salad last in fridge? ›

Storage. This raw beet and carrot salad will last up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. It's great as leftovers for quick lunches.

What should you not take with beetroot? ›

Beetroot juice is rich in nitrates, which might negatively interact with certain blood pressure-lowering medicines, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.

What fruit goes with beetroot? ›

Beets' earthy flavor profile pairs wonderfully with fruits and vegetables that provide complementary sweet, savory, citrusy, or spicy notes. Here are some of my favorite ingredients for beet juice blends: Fruits: oranges, grapefruit, lemon, lime, pineapple, mango, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears.

Are canned beets as good as fresh beets? ›

With only a few exceptions, canned beetroots have about the same nutritional value as fresh beetroots. Fresh beetroots have double the phosphorus, potassium and folate, but 1 cup of sliced, canned beetroots has 14 percent of the recommended daily intake of folate and 4 percent of phosphorus and potassium.

What meat goes well with beetroot? ›

Meat and beet salad is a great pairing because it's a way to make meat the star of the show, but it's also a way to add some color to your plate. You can use any kind of meat you want, but we recommend using chicken, lamb or beef.

What is the healthiest way to eat beets? ›

Eating beets raw or juicing and roasting them may be more beneficial than boiling them. Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a vibrant and versatile type of vegetable. They're known for their earthy flavor and aroma. Many people call them a superfood because of their rich nutritional profile.

What is the best companion for beets? ›

Some great beet companion plants include onions, garlic, lettuce, radishes, and brassicas such as cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. Herbs like mint, thyme, chamomile, and dill can also be beneficial.

What fruit compliments beets? ›

Fruits and Vegetables that Pair Well with Beets
  • Fruits: oranges, grapefruit, lemon, lime, pineapple, mango, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears.
  • Veggies: carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, spinach, kale, ginger, turmeric, parsley, mint.

What can I mix with beet juice to make it taste better? ›

In this beet juice, the beets taste sweet and earthy, lemon and ginger add zing, and the cucumber adds mineral-rich water. Beets are naturally sweet so we don't add any additional fruit, with the exception of a lemon. If you find the juice too tart, consider pushing a couple carrots or an apple through the juicer.

How do you make beets more palatable? ›

My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. Another advantage is that they don't bleed as much, especially if they're roasted whole.

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