The versatility of the vibrant and earthy beetroot is showcased in this Beetroot and Feta Salad. Classically paired with salty feta cheese, softened by the delicate oak lettuce and cut through with the tart and bitter grapefruit, this salad is designed to impress.
Organise oven shelves for 1 baking dish (baked baby beetroot) and 2 sheet pans (beetroot crisps).
Cut off the leaves and tail ends of the baby golden beetroot.
Place them in a baking dish and add enough water to about halfway up to the beetroot, so they are only partially submerged.
Loosely cover with some foil.
Put the baking dish into the oven for 45 minutes.
Melt the butter in the microwave.
After 45 minutes, remove the baby golden beetroot, peel them and place onto a dry baking dish.
Baste generously with the melted butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for another 20 minutes.
Beetroot Carpaccio
Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to the boil.
Select the 3 largest beetroots and cut the leaves and root.
Place the water and boil for 30 minutes.
Remove from the saucepan and let it cool.
Peel the beetroot.
Using a mandoline at 1 cm thickness, shave the beetroot into thin slices.
Set aside.
Beetroot Chips
With the remaining 3 beetroots, cut off the leaves and root.
Wash and give it a bit of a scrub.
Using a mandoline at 1 cm thickness, shave the beetroot into thin slices.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add shaved beetroot, 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix it all until well coated.
On 2 sheet pans, place the beetroot out. A tiny overlap is ok as the beetroot will shrink.
When you are putting the golden baby beetroots back into the oven for the second for 20 minutes, add these in at the same time so that all 3 will be ready at the same time.
Salad
Peel the leaves off the oak lettuce and keep whole leaves intact. Wash and pat dry.
Peel the ruby red grapefruit and extract all the flesh. They don’t have to be perfect wedges.
Crumble the feta.
Assembly
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the oak lettuce, 1 tbsp of olive oil and juice of ½ lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well combined.
Place on a large platter with the stems of the lettuce in the middle of the platter and the leaves on the circumference.
Place the beetroot carpaccio on the lettuce and tuck some between the leaves.
Add the ruby red grapefruit on top.
Add ½ the crumbled feta on top.
Add baby golden beetroot.
Add the rest of the crumbled feta.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the beetroot crisps stacked standing up in a bowl and serve on the side.
Notes
If you can’t find baby golden beetroot, red ones are, of course, perfectly fine. Apart from the flavour, the golden beetroot just added extra colour. If you can get baby beetroot at all, you can cut 2 small beetroots in 4 wedges each and bake them.
Beetroot crisps are super popular, so if you don’t think it will be enough, you might like to make more!
You can substitute feta for goat cheese.
You can use any lettuce or mixed leaves as you wish. Oak lettuce has a softer texture, and its lovely rounded edges bring a delicate finish to the presentation.
If you’re not a fan of grapefruit, you can opt for orange, tangelo or even blood orange.
If you want to keep the stains off your fingers, wear gloves. Personally, I like a tinge of pink on my feta, so I’m happy to work with none.