Beetroot and Blood Orange Salad

A beautiful salad made with oven-roasted beetroot, blood orange segments, vegan "feta", pomegranate seeds, fresh mint and a sweet and tangy dressing.

The flavour combination of the earthy, sweet beetroot with the sweet orange and pomegranate, freshness from the mint, saltiness from the vegan "feta" and the tangy dressing is absolutely delicious!

THE INGREDIENTS

OVEN-ROASTED BEETROOT

I personally prefer using roasted beetroot, instead of cooked beetroot. I has a sweeter flavour and the texture is also a bit "firmer".

BLOOD ORANGE

I love using blood oranges in this recipe. Not only for the colour, but also for the flavour. If you don't have blood orange, you can use any you prefer.

HOW TO SEGMENT AN ORANGE

Do this using a shark knife and carefully slice off the top and bottom of the orange. Use even strokes downwards to slice the skin away from the flesh. Remove any remaining white pith.

Cut between the membranes to segment the orange, but make sure to retain any juices as this will be used for the dressing.

Squeeze out any remaining juices left in the orange (NOT the segments)

POMEGRANATE

Pomegranate seeds add lovely bursts of sweetness and crunch. Plus, the little jewels look so beautiful in the salad.

VEGAN FETA

Here is the UK one can find good vegen feta alternatives. The "feta" adds a wonderful savoury flavour and creaminess to the whole dish.

MINT

Do not skip the fresh mint! It completes the flavour combination. It adds freshness and cuts through the tanginess and sweetness.

THE DRESSING

The dressing is simple and made with only 4 ingredients:

Orange juice, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

If you don't have balsamic vinegar, you can always replace it with pomegranate molasses, but you might have to add a bit more lime juice.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Crushed walnuts or pistachios will be great in this salad

AND IT'S HEALTHY

The ingredients in this salad are high in nutrients and have many health benefits.

Reds, blues and purples mean high antioxidants when it comes to fruit and vegetables. Antioxidants are known for their anti-cancer properties and may reduce damages from free radicals.

This salad is also good for the gut and good for your heart and lungs.

OTHER RECIPES TO TRY

Jennifer Aniston Salad

strawberry, basil and wild rocket salad

healthier caesar salad with tofu

watermelon, mint & veta salad

nourish bowl

BEETROOT & BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

A beautiful salad made with oven-roasted beetroot, blood orange segments, vegan "feta", pomegranate seeds, fresh mint and a sweet and tangy dressing.

Time: 50 minutes

Serves 2 - 3 as a side

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium beetroot, uncooked

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Sea salt, to season

• 1 large blood orange

• 1/4 cup vegan feta alternative, crumbed or cubed

• 2 - 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds

• a handful fresh mint leaves

FOR THE DRESSING

• 1 tbsp blood orange juice (left-over from when segmenting the orange)

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• a squeeze fresh lime juice.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

2. Peel the raw beetroot and cut each beetroot into 8 wedges. To do this cut each beetroot in half, the cut each half into 4 pieces.

3. Transfer the pieces onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and give a good mix to coat evenly.

4. Season with sea salt and roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until cooked to your liking. I like them to have slightly caramelised edges.

5. Whilst the beet is roasting, segment the orange. Do this using a shark knife and carefully slice off the top and bottom of the orange. Use even strokes downwards to slice the skin away from the flesh. Remove any remaining white pith. Cut between the membranes to segment the orange, but make sure to retain any juices as this will be used for the dressing.

6. To make the dressing, use one tablespoon of off the retained orange juice and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to mix and set aside.

7. Once the beetroot is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes.

8. Arrange the beetroot on a serving dish or plate. Spoon over the orange segments and half the salad dressing.

9. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, add the vegan feta and finish with the mint leaves.

10. Serve and add more dressing as needed.

HAVE YOU MADE THIS?

If you have, I would love to see your creations on Instagram.

Make sure to leave a review below and please give it a rating.

Follow me on Instagram for more vegan recipes and inspirations!