Zing-Zing Beetroot, Rocket and Feta Salad

Zing-Zing Beetroot, Rocket (Arugula) and Feta Salad looks wonderful on a plate with cold smoked fish or cold cuts. If you reserve the feta until just before serving, it contrasts beautifully with the beetroot and the rocket, so that the sharpness of the cheese and peppery flavor of the rocket are not lost.

You can also serve this extraordinary salad as an accompaniment to other dishes or with fresh soft baps.

Zing-Zing Beetroot, Rocket and Feta Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 medium to large fresh beetroot
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1 medium stalk celery, finely chopped
• Small spring fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 small medium sweet red pepper (or to taste), finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, or to taste
• Ground white pepper, to taste
• Pinch of ground cardamom
• Pinch of dried marjoram
• 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups rocket (arugula), torn into pieces
• 2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Rosemary – Photo Theresa Sjoquist

Directions:

1. Remove the top and the root end from the beetroot, place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until they are tender to the point of a knife. Drain the cooking water off and cover beetroot with cold water.
2. Once the beetroot is cooled, peel and dice into 1/2- to 3/4-inch square blocks and place into a salad bowl. Slice the red onion into four lengthwise pieces and then slice crosswise so that you have shreds of red onion. Put the onion in the bowl along with chopped celery, rosemary, parsley and sweet pepper.
3. Sprinkle sea salt, white pepper, ground cardamom and marjoram over the vegetable mixture. Add balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, honey and olive oil. Add approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and mix everything gently, folding rather than stirring. If the honey has become lumpy, you’ll need to turn it a few times to melt the honey. Otherwise, melt the honey with the lemon juice before adding it.
4. In order to preserve some color, top the vegetable mixture with the rocket and crumble the feta cheese over the top. The cheese can be mixed in when ready to serve.

Zing-Zing Beetroot, Rocket & Feta Salad served with Smoked New Zeland Mullet

Cooking Tips

The sweet red pepper gives this gorgeous salad flavor, and the herbs and spices will have your guests saying yum. But they may not quite be able to define what you’ve put in there. Cut your herbs and pepper very finely. The herbal taste should not bite you; rather, it should be a fragrant sensation on the palate as a balance to the earthiness of the beetroot.