A simple salad put together in 10 minutes. Beetroot, orange and feta make for great combinations. The trick is young, tender beetroot, which you cook yourself. Peel, quarter as soon as possible, and douse with plenty of apple cider vinegar. Add fresh mint, coriander, garlic and a simple dressing, and you have a delicious lunch, beetroot and orange salad with feta.

The garlic must be sliced thinly and tossed in with vinegar and beetroot. Leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Indeed, a recipe that ticks the Eat The Rainbow box. I think beetroot is an overlooked vegetable, perhaps childhood memories of its earthy taste (in a bad way) with nothing to enhance its flavour. Or maybe the undercooked fibrous beetroot – well past its sell date. 😱

Tender fresh beetroot has a sweet and earthy flavour that lends itself to many different pairings. Use cooked beets in the beetroot and orange salad with feta and raw in this recipe for beetroot salad with mango and chilli. You can also adapt this recipe and use raw grated beetroot, zest the orange and use the juice for the dressing. I have given details for both versions in the recipe card below.

Cooking Fresh Beetroots

If you can, avoid buying pre-cooked beetroot, they will put you off for life. Buy small, medium-sized beets, ideally still with their leaves, proving how fresh they are. Save the leaves to cook later (or add halfway through cooking). Drop the whole beetroots, complete with skin, into boiling water (no need to add salt). They should be ready in 20-25 minutes (or as soon as you can easily insert a knife). The messy part is peeling them – be careful beetroot juice does stain. Quarter or cut into six segments so the vinegar can soak in.

Any crumbly soft cheese would work here, but feta is my preferred choice. It adds a salty creaminess offsetting the orange’s sweetness and the beetroot’s earthy taste. I would also stick with the coriander and mint combination.

Try out more winter and summer salad recipes here.