Beetroot, Feta and Maple Walnut Salad

I had my gorgeous sister-in-law and a lovely friend over for lunch on Friday. It was a cold and dreary day so I probably should have served them something comforting like creamy soup and cheese toasties, but I think it’s sometimes nice to have a hint of summer sunshine in the middle of winter so I decided to serve a salad. Obviously I wasn’t going to put on my bikini and serve a watermelon and feta salad or a fresh Greek salad with a pina colada (for two obvious reasons), instead I was thinking a more substantial and hearty winter salad was in order.

There are so many delicious winter salad combinations but I decided between the two classics: prosciutto, pear and walnut; or beetroot, feta and walnut, and got the ingredients for both. As it turned out I had a hankering for prosciutto on the day so my husband and I had the beetroot salad and a crusty baguette for lunch on Saturday. Even baby George had some of the beetroot salad which in hindsight wasn’t the smartest move to give beetroot to a 14 month old, my stain-fighting ability isn’t that advanced yet.

Beetroot, feta and walnuts are a winning combination. The sweetness of the beetroot, the saltiness of the feta and the crunch of the walnuts are a match made in heaven. At the moment I am obsessed with candied nuts using maple syrup (see my last post), they are so easy, so yummy and give this salad a delightful sweetness and crunch. My second obsession is freeze dried fruit so I also added some freeze dried cherries for tartness. I love them, but if you don’t or you just don’t have any in Your Little Larder feel free to use dried cherries or just leave them out. Likewise, if you don’t have any maple syrup just use toasted walnuts and a drizzle or balsamic vinegar and olive oil instead of the maple walnuts and the dressing.

Enjoy!

xo Kate

5 from 1 vote

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Beetroot, Feta and Maple Walnut Winter Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Roasted Beetroot

• 3 medium beetroot
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Maple Walnuts

• 2/3 cup walnut pieces
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• pinch of sea salt

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Salad

• 150 g 5oz baby spinach or rocket (arugula)
• 100 g 3.5oz feta, crumbled
• 16 dried cherries optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Wash then top and tail the beetroot. Place beetroot on a sheet of aluminium foil, drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil, season then wrap half the aluminium foil over the beetroot to create a sealed pouch. Place on a baking tray in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
2. While the beetroot is cooking make the maple walnuts and dressing.
3. For the maple walnuts place the walnuts, 1 Tbsp maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir and cook for 3 minutes until the maple syrup is caramelised and you can smell the delicious and comforting aroma of cooked walnuts. Allow to cool and harden.
4. For the dressing place 2 Tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp maple syrup and seasoning in a bowl and whisk to combine.
5. Once the beetroot is cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. When it is cool enough to be handled but still warm, peel then cut into wedges.
6. To assemble the salad divide greens, beetroot, feta, maple walnuts and dried cherries between 4 serving plates. Drizzle with dressing and serve. Delicious served with a crusty baguette.

Recipe Notes

If you can, make sure you use freshly roasted beetroot rather than tinned beetroot. Beetroot is quick and easy to roast and the flavour of its tinned counterpart just doesn't compare. Try it and I bet you'll agree!