Recipe and images by Emma Galloway
Fresh beetroot is an often overlooked vegetable which intimidates many, and while I love a slice of good ol’ tinned beetroot as much as the next person, there’s something truly magical about growing or buying whole beetroot and preparing them yourself. Whether that means grating and eating raw, juicing, boiling or roasting, its earthy sweetness can’t be beaten.
I LOVE raw beetroot salads, but as with most root vegetables, roasting intensifies its natural sweetness.
Serves 4–6
6 medium beetroot, ends trimmed
2 small red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
olive oil
salt & pepper
2 radishes, thinly sliced
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
50g feta cheese, crumbled
2 handfuls micro greens or mesclun salad greens or rocket
Mustard Caper Dressing
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
1½ tsp honey or raw caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp capers, drained and finely chopped
Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut beets in half, then into bite sized wedges. Place on an oven tray with the red onion wedges, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast 20–25 minutes or until tender and charred in places. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
To make the dressing, combine mustard and honey in a small bowl, add lemon juice and vinegar and whisk. Continue whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil. Add chopped capers and season to taste with salt.
Combine roasted beetroot, onions, sliced radishes, toasted pumpkin seeds, feta cheese and micro greens/mesclun/rocket in a bowl. Drizzle over enough dressing to coat and serve immediately.
