Beetroot and feta salad is a beautiful colorful salad and a very easy fresh summer side dish. It’s loaded with beetroot, creamy feta, quinoa, spinach, carrots, nuts, and seeds and topped with irresistible olive oil mustard salad dressing.
Takes only 10 minutes to throw together and is best enjoyed with your favorite BBQ!
This delicious salad is great to enjoy on its own as a nutrient-packed vegetarian lunch or serve with any of your favorite main courses as a side.
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Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
You'll only need a few fresh ingredients a simple Honey mustard dressing with staple ingredients that are available in most kitchens.
- Lettuce - baby spinach, arugula, romaine, butter lettuce, or other similar vitamin-packed lettuces will be a great choice here. I usually add at least 2 different types of lettuce.
- Dressing - This salad is simple but with the right dressing, it becomes very special! Dijon mustard is the key element in this creamy dressing along with a good quality olive oil that just seals the deal. Regular mustard is not a great idea to use, it is too overpowering. To mix things up, even more, add fresh chopped or dried Italian herbs such as thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, or simple parsley to the dressing.
- Vinegar - if the dressing flavor is too sweet, add 3 tablespoons in total or sub with lemon or orange juice.
- If you want to go more for a sweet flavor add more honey or maple syrup to the dressing (to taste).
- Salty Feta cheese - feta cheese is the best to pair with beetroot however pan-fried or grilled halloumi is another winner along with creamy goat cheese. You should definitely try my Pan Fried Halloumi Salad With Beetroot recipe next time.
- Beets - the star of the show are of course beets that are nutrient powerhouse root vegetables! For this recipe, use baby beets or whatever you can find and prepare the beets as you like - boil, steam, or roast the beets in the oven. If you have more time, roast beets taste delicious in this salad!
- This fabulous beetroot salad will taste good with only balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- You can also cut the beets into 1 or 2-inch cubes, same with carrots. Although uncooked carrot will be easier to consume and taste better if grated or diced fine.
Instructions
Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or a jar and shake/stir like crazy. Set aside (for best flavor, let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes-1 hour).
Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, mix the spinach leaves, half of the dressing, and carrot strips in a bowl.
Gently mix to combine.
Arrange other ingredients on a large serving platter and add beetroots (I like to add a pinch of salt to the beetroot before serving), feta cheese, and top with more dressing and seeds and nuts if using.
You can add a squeeze of citrus juice or a little lemon zest for a pleasing aroma and delicious flavors.
Tips
- I prefer minimizing my time handling the beetroot because it gives stains everywhere so I like to cut it in thinner half circles or wedges. You can cut the beetroot into thinner strips using mandoline or julienne peeler.
- Beetroot - I used boiled beets bought from the store (already packaged). But you can definitely use roasted beets as they retain the most flavor and nutrition value. I love beetroot and describe how to roast beetroot very easily in this recipe.
- Things will get messy - Beet juice stains everything very easily and I recommend caution and wearing gloves when handling the veggies. Also, don’t use your favorite cutting board as it may get hard to get it cleaned.
- You can actually eat beetroots raw. Best to grate them (don’t forget the gloves!). Keep the beetroot juice for later!
Freezing And Storing Instructions
The simple beetroot salad is meant to be consumed on the same day. The spinach or arugula leaves mixed in the dressing won't keep fresh for a long time and thus is better to consume right away, as fresh as it comes!
If you do want to preserve the salad for later, I'd recommend storing the beets in an airtight container (especially roast beets) separate from the rest of the salad ingredients. You can reheat cooked beets in the oven or air fryer for best results.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this salad with grilled meat or veggies. Here are some of my recommendations:
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Easy Salad Recipes
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I hope you'll enjoy this Beetroot and Feta Salad recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Beetroot And Feta Salad
INGREDIENTS
Salad
- 3-4 cups spinach or a mix of lettuce such as arugula romaine, butter lettuce
- 1 large carrot cut into strips or julienned
- ½ cups uncooked quinoa
- 1 large beetroot cooked (boiled, grilled or roasted)
- ¼ cups mixed seeds and crunchy nuts chopped
- ½ cup feta or similar salad cheese cubes sub with halloumi or fried tofu
Dressing
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon honey liquid type
- 4 tablespoon good quality olive oil
- A drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice for serving
- Salt
- Black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or a jar and shake/stir like crazy. Set aside (for best flavor, let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes-1 hour).
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, mix the spinach leaves, half of the dressing, carrot strips in a bowl.
- Gently mix to combine.
- Arrange other ingredients on a large serving platter and add beetroots (I like to add a pinch of salt to the beetroot before serving), feta cheese, and top with more dressing and seeds and nuts if using.
- You can add a squeeze of citrus juice or a little lemon zest for a pleasing aroma and delicious flavors.
A delicious and vibrant summer salad!