Beetroot Salad

Roasted beetroot, sliced thin and arranged on a plate, dressed with a sharp Dijon mustard and lemon vinaigrette, scattered with toasted pine nuts and a handful of microgreens. Earthy, sharp, and a little nutty. A proper French starter that takes almost no time to assemble once the beetroot is done.

Prep15

Cook1

Total1 15

Servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

For the beetroot

800 gr beetroot raw, about 4 medium, unpeeled
1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
salt and black pepper

For the Dijon vinaigrette

3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard Dijon
½ tsp wholegrain mustard
1 shallot
salt and black pepper

To finish

40 gr pine nuts toasted
40 gr microgreens or pea shoots
flat-leaf parsley
lemon wedges to serve

Equipment

Instructions

Roast the beetroot

Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Scrub the beetroot, leaving the skins on. Rub with olive oil, season, wrap each one individually in foil, and roast for 55 to 60 minutes, until tender when pierced (large ones may need 75). Cool until comfortable to handle, then rub off the skins (use gloves, they stain).

Make the vinaigrette

Put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, seal, and shake well. Taste and adjust, it should be sharp and punchy with the mustard clear.

Toast the pine nuts

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until golden. Watch closely, they burn fast. Tip onto a plate to cool.

Slice and assemble

Slice the cooled beetroot and fan across each plate, overlapping. Spoon the vinaigrette generously over. Scatter the pine nuts, then the microgreens and torn parsley. Finish with a lemon wedge on the side. Serve immediately.

Notes

Roast, don't boil. The flavour concentrates, the sweetness deepens, and you don't lose the colour to the water.
Roast whole and unpeeled, up to 2 days ahead; keep in the fridge in their foil.
Wholegrain mustard adds texture; if you only have one, Dijon is the more important.
Swap pine nuts for walnuts if you like; toast the same way.
A little chèvre or Roquefort on top turns it into a light lunch.

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