Beetroot & broad bean salad with feta & horseradish dressing
SERVES 6-8 / PREPARATION 20-25 MINUTES / COOKING 30-40 MINUTES
I’ve gone for the traditional and well-loved pairing of beetroot and horseradish, with a bunch of tasty additions to keep things interesting. I used a lovely firm organic sheep’s milk feta, but any firm feta will do.
4 medium beetroots, leaves trimmed
leaving approx 1cm of stem
3 cups shelled fresh broad beans
(or 1 x 500g packet frozen broad beans)
2 big handfuls peppery greens (I used rocket
and upland cress)
1 tablespoon capers, drained and roughly chopped ¼ red onion, finely diced a small handful soft herbs such as flat-leafed parsley
or dill, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped
FOR THE FETA & HORSERADISH DRESSING 85g firm feta, crumbled
1 clove garlic, crushed
2-3 tablespoons grated horseradish (I used pre-prepared from a jar, but if you can get your hands on fresh, use that)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Place the beetroots into a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender, topping up with additional water if needed. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Slip the skins off, then slice each beetroot into bite-sized wedges.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the broad beans for 2-3 minutes (adding another minute or two if frozen). Drain well and run under cold water to stop them cooking further. If fresh, they should be OK to eat as is; if frozen, slip them out of their firm skins to reveal the tender green bean inside.
To make the feta and horseradish dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mixing until just combined. Don’t be tempted to mix it too much, unless you’re after a smooth dressing. I personally like a few feta chunks to remain intact.
To serve, arrange the beetroot wedges, broad beans, greens, capers, diced onion, herbs and pistachios in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.
TIP If using pre-prepared grated horseradish in a jar, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a month or two. It’s lovely stirred into sour cream, crème fraîche or yoghurt, then spooned over baked potatoes and sprinkled with some finely chopped chives.