Celebrate the new season
Embrace the change of seasons and enjoy a hearty and healthy salad that captures the colours of autumn.
After what was a bit of a non-summer, I have resigned myself to the fact that autumn is already here, and I decided to make the most of it by enjoying some hearty autumnal fare.
Hearty doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be complicated or unhealthy, as this vegetable salad shows.
The combination of flavours and textures creates a delicious dish that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The sweet baby carrots and kumara are paired with earthy parsnips and baby beetroot, all roasted until tender.
The addition of salty feta, intense semi-dried tomatoes and crunchy walnuts is perfect – then the final dollops of walnut, parsley and basil pesto bring it all together.
This salad would be brilliant alongside roast beef or lamb, and the pesto can also be made separately and used in pasta, on sandwiches, toast or pizza – just leave out the cider vinegar when making. FOOD drizzling, add another few teaspoons each of olive oil and water.
Root vegetable salad with feta & sun-dried tomatoes
Serves: 6 Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 80 minutes (separately)
12 baby beetroot 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 12 baby carrots 3 small parsnips, cut to match carrot size
1 large kumara, chopped into 5cm pieces 1 tablespoon runny honey 6 cups mixed salad greens 200g soft feta, crumbled
cup semi-dried tomatoes, halved
cup lightly toasted walnuts
2 teaspoons walnut oil or extra virgin olive extra
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a baking dish with two pieces of tinfoil, using enough so that when you put in the beetroot you will be able to draw the sides up and make a foil parcel.
Add baby beetroot and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper, draw up the sides and add cup water.
Seal the top by scrunching, and bake the beetroot for 40-45 minutes until tender. Leave to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C, and put carrots, parsnips and kumara in a baking dish. Drizzle with remaining oil and honey. Season well with salt and pepper and cook for 25 minutes until tender then leave to cool.
Use a small sharp knife to peel the skins off the beetroot. Layer the salad greens on to a serving plate and top with carrots, kumara, beetroot, crumbled feta, semi-dried tomatoes, and toasted walnuts. Drop teaspoons of pesto on to the salad, serving the remainder on the side. If desired, drizzle with a little walnut oil to serve.
Recipes, food styling and photography by Sarah Tuck