Beetroot looks and tastes delicious in a salad with its rich purple hue, earthy flavour, touch of sweetness and lovely crunch. Beetroot can be eaten raw, boiled, roasted or pickled and you can add just about anything to accompany it. As a tribute to spring, we chose to go raw. For this recipe, choose firm a firm beetroot with leaves and stems attached- the fresher, the better. Stems should stand upright and leaves should be perky. Mild in flavour, the green and purple leaves are a great alternative to spinach in a salad, as per below.
Our healthy salad is crunchy in texture with crisp apples, raw beets and toasted pepitas, tart yet sweet in flavour thanks to the apple cider vinegar and dried cranberries, and full of good fats from the macademia oil. Have it as a snack, a light lunch or accompany it with dinner. Feel free to add a poached egg, some grilled halloumi, cubed feta, steamed prawns or seared scallops to turn the salad into more substantial main.
Beetroots are more than just a pretty addition to your vegetable basket- they are packed with nourishing goodness! High in fibre, an excellent source of folic acid, great for liver detoxification and full of beta-carotene, beets are truly a wonder root. Their leaves contain lots of calcium and iron, as well as Vitamins A & C so don’t throw those away.
Prep Time: 20 mins | Serves 2 (or 1 if you are really hungry)
When slicing the beetroot, make sure to wear an apron as the juices will bleed and stain anything it touches. Then wash your board, knife and hands for good measure. We suggest prepping all the other ingredients first and dealing with the beetroot last. We also prefer using an apple straight from the fridge for maximum crunch.
Ingredients
- handful of green beans (about 20-30 pieces), sliced into halves or thirds
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- handful of beetroot leaves, stems removed, roughly torn into bite size pieces
- 1 medium sized or 2 small beetroot (s), scrubbed, peeled and finely sliced into rounds or baton according to your preference
- 1 green or red apple, cored and sliced
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp cold pressed macadamia or olive oil
- handful of dry toasted pepitas/pumpkin seeds
- handful of dried cranberries
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Boil water in a pot with steamer insert. Insert green beans and steam for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook as you want to maintain their crunch.
- Remove beans from heat and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk oil and vinegar gently, season to taste with salt and pepper and add to bottom of salad bowl.
- Throw in cooled beans, beetroot leaves, beetroot pieces, onion and apples. Use tongs to mix through thoroughly pieces.
- Serve salad in bowls topped with cranberries and pepitas.
