ROASTED BEETROOT, RED QUINOA, STRAWBERRY & BASIL SALAD
Serves 4-6 Preparation time 25-30 minutes Cooking time 50 minutes for the beetroot
INGREDIENTS
• 3 medium raw mixed purple and golden beetroot (including the tops)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 175g/6oz red quinoa
• 150g/5oz fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
• 2 small handfuls of fresh basil leaves
• 100g/4oz crumbled goat’s cheese
• Edible flowers, to garnish (optional)
For the dressing
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp strawberry jam
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• A pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, Gas 5 and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Start by roasting the beetroot. Cut off the tops and bottoms, reserving the tops. Give the beetroot a good scrub and cut into quarters. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle over 2 tbsp of water, the honey, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and scatter over the thyme. Fold up the sides of the foil so that the beetroot quarters are covered. Roast in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. They should now be soft all the way through if you poke them with a knife. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Once cooled slightly, peel off the outer skins.
3. Wash the beetroot tops thoroughly to get rid of any grit and chop the leaves finely. You will need about 2 handfuls of chopped leaves.
4. To cook the quinoa, just put it in a saucepan with 500ml/18fl oz of water, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Put a lid on the pan and leave to cook for 10-12 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
5. To make the dressing, simply put all the ingredients in a clean jar, screw on the lid and shake well to mix. Alternatively, whisk everything together in a small bowl until well combined.
6. Once everything has cooled down, you can assemble the salad. Put the quinoa, beetroot, strawberries, beetroot tops and dressing into a large mixing bowl and toss together to coat and combine. Sprinkle with the basil leaves and goat’s cheese. You can serve this salad with some edible flowers sprinkled on top – it makes a really beautiful centrepiece for a summer brunch.
Perfect for mid- to late- summer months, when both strawberries and beetroot are in season