Sweet beetroot and tangy goat’s cheese make a satisfying salad when you give them something crisp, something peppery and a dressing with a little sharpness. This version brings together tender cooked beetroot, rocket, cucumber and toasted walnuts, with a mustard and balsamic dressing. The cheese goes on last in soft pieces, so you get distinct flavours rather than a bowl of pink-coated leaves.
Using plain, ready-cooked beetroot makes this an easy lunch or a colourful side dish with very little cooking. You can also cook fresh beetroot if you have some to use up. The main recipe serves two for lunch with bread, or four as a side, and is designed to be assembled just before eating.
Ingredients
Serves: 2 as a light main course or 4 as a side. Preparation: about 15 minutes, plus a few minutes to toast the walnuts. Allow extra time if cooking beetroot from raw.
For the salad
- 300g plain cooked beetroot, drained
- 80g rocket, or a mixture of rocket and baby spinach
- Half a cucumber, about 150g
- 100g soft goat’s cheese
- 30g walnut halves, roughly broken
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Wholemeal bread, to serve if making this a main meal
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A small pinch of salt, if needed
Choose beetroot cooked without vinegar for the flavour intended here. Pickled beetroot will make a sharper salad and may need less vinegar in the dressing. A soft, rindless goat’s cheese is easy to break into pieces, although a small goat’s cheese log works too. If you need the meal to be vegetarian, check that the cheese is made with vegetarian rennet.
How to make the salad
- Toast the walnuts. Put them in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat. Cook for 3–5 minutes, moving them frequently, until fragrant and lightly coloured. Tip onto a plate to cool straight away; they can catch quickly if left in the hot pan.
- Prepare the vegetables. Wash the leaves and dry them thoroughly. Cut the cucumber into bite-sized pieces. If its centre is particularly watery, scrape out the soft seeds with a teaspoon before chopping.
- Cut the beetroot. Pat it dry with kitchen paper, then cut into wedges or chunky cubes. Keep it on a separate plate while you prepare the dressing. Smaller pieces are easier to eat, but avoid chopping so finely that they disappear among the leaves.
- Mix the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Add the honey if you would like a softer, sweeter finish, then grind in some pepper. Taste before adding salt, as the cheese will bring its own saltiness.
- Dress in stages. Toss the beetroot with about a tablespoon of dressing. In a separate large bowl, gently toss the leaves, cucumber and parsley with enough of the remaining dressing to lightly coat them. You may not need it all.
- Assemble and serve. Spread the dressed greens over a platter or divide between plates. Add the beetroot, break the goat’s cheese over the top and scatter with the cooled walnuts. Spoon over any remaining dressing if wanted and serve immediately, with bread alongside.
Getting the texture and flavour right
Dry ingredients make a better salad
Water clinging to leaves dilutes the dressing and collects at the bottom of the bowl. A salad spinner is useful, but you can also pat leaves gently with a clean tea towel. Give vacuum-packed beetroot a moment to drain, too. These small steps help the mustard dressing cling to the vegetables.
Keep the cheese in generous pieces
Soft goat’s cheese becomes creamy when stirred through dressing. That can taste lovely, but here the aim is to keep little pockets of tangy cheese against the sweet beetroot. Crumble it directly over the finished salad rather than mixing it into the bowl. For neater pieces, use the cheese straight from the fridge.
Adjust the dressing to your beetroot
Beetroot varies in sweetness, and balsamic vinegar can be mellow or quite sharp. Taste a dressed piece of beetroot before assembling everything. Add a few drops more vinegar if it tastes flat, or use the optional honey if the vinegar feels too assertive. Make small adjustments so that the dressing supports the other flavours.
If you are starting with raw beetroot
Use around 400g raw beetroot to allow for trimming and peeling. Scrub the roots, leaving the skins intact, and trim the stalks without cutting deeply into the flesh. Put in a saucepan, cover generously with water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook until a small knife slides easily into the centre, usually 40–60 minutes for medium roots, sometimes longer.
Drain and leave until cool enough to handle, then rub or peel away the skins and trim the ends. Cool before cutting for this salad. Beetroot stains readily, so use a washable board and rinse utensils promptly. You can cook it ahead to make assembly quicker later.
Serving ideas and simple variations
For lunch, serve the salad with wholemeal bread to catch the dressing. It also works beside a plain omelette or baked potato. As a side dish, put it on a wide platter so everyone can take some beetroot, greens and cheese without having to dig through a deep bowl.
- Use a different crunch: replace the walnuts with toasted pumpkin seeds. Cool them before scattering over the leaves.
- Add fresh fruit: a small sliced pear brings a juicy contrast. Add it just before serving so it keeps its texture.
- Make it more substantial: add a drained, rinsed 400g tin of chickpeas, tossing them with the beetroot and a little extra dressing if needed.
- Change the herbs: use a tablespoon of chopped dill in place of the parsley for a more pronounced herbal flavour.
Preparing ahead and storing leftovers
For the best result, store the components separately. Keep cooked beetroot, washed and dried leaves, cucumber and cheese in covered containers in the fridge. Put the dressing in a small sealed jar and keep the cooled walnuts in a dry, airtight container. Assemble only the amount you plan to eat.
Refrigerate prepared ingredients promptly and use within two days, or sooner if a packet’s instructions require it. Keep any dressed leftovers chilled and eat the next day, although the leaves will soften and the beetroot will colour the cheese. Freezing the assembled salad is unsuitable because the cucumber and leaves lose their texture. If packing it for lunch, carry the dressing separately and keep the salad chilled until you eat.
