I couldn’t imagine anything worse than a beetroot salad. Beetroot used to be the last choice in terms of vegetables that I would choose at a salad bar. However, all of that changed when I got pregnant. I just couldn’t get enough of this sweet vegetable. Then my uncle, Henry, invited us over to dinner and he made a beetroot salad with feta yoghurt. I’ve been obsessed with it ever since and here’s my take on his amazing salad.
The only drawback to beetroot is how long it takes to cook … especially if you want it done “properly”. Henry cautioned me not to boil beetroot as the colour really isn’t as deep and the flavours are not as rich either. I agree. I hope you enjoy this beetroot salad as much as I did.
Serves 4 (approx. 244 calories per serve)
Prep time 20mins
Cook time 2 hours
Ingredients
4 beetroots
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, quartered
200g natural yoghurt
100g feta cheese
25g almonds (toasted if you wish)
6 sprigs of mint
Note: The white ceramic salad bowl I used is similar to this one. I don’t remember the exact brand I got because it’s not labelled and it was a hand-me-down from a friend moving overseas.
Preheat the oven to 150C.
Scrub the beetroot making sure not to rip the skin. Halve and smother in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Lay out the beetroot on a baking tray and cook for 1.5-2 hours or until soft. Some people wrap the beetroot in foil while roasting but I prefer without as it becomes more of a roasted (as opposed to steamed) flavour with more caramelisation.
After an hour, add the onions to the baking tray to cook for the remainder of the time needed for the beetroot. Meanwhile mix the yoghurt and feta in a bowl and set aside.
Once the beetroots are cooked, let it cool for about 10 mins before sliding the skin off with your fingers. I use gloves as getting beetroot stains under your fingernails are no fun.
Cut the beetroots into bite sized pieces and place in a salad bowl. Add the roasted onions and top with the yoghurt feta mix, almonds and mint. Serve immediately.