Serves: 2
Cost: ~€1.70
Preparation time: ~10 minutes
Calories: ~260 per serving
Hi everyone, I hope you’re all having a fantastic, restful weekend. I thought I’d write about one of my favourite salads today – very apt, what with my current attempts to try and eat at least a little healthier :).
The first time I had this was as a starter in a rather delightful restaurant in Paris, just around the corner from where my friend used to live. Alas, my friend has now moved away from France, and the restaurant has also closed – sigh, such is life.
The salad itself is simple enough in composition – beetroot, cubed feta, a good bit of fresh mint and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to bring out the flavours a bit. A dish of nightmares for those who dislike beets, but for people like me, an excellent marriage of flavours. This was the original salad, and I haven’t really tried to develop it more because for me, it’s always been very good. That was, until now. I noticed that they were offering small pots of pretty much the exact same salad in my office canteen one day. They didn’t add the mint or the dressing, but they had added raspberries as well! I was sceptical… I’ll say that right now. I thought maybe it was a case of adding some extra berries just for the sake of it, so it sounds different on the menu, but on trying it I was very surprised. The raspberries provided an excellent contrast of sweetness with the flavour of the beets and provided an extra tanginess to cut through the wonderful creaminess of the feta cheese.
As with most things involving beetroot, try to avoid letting the beetroot mix with the other ingredients as much as possible. While that does sound hard, it’s basically just a question of mixing the salad right at the end, as you’re about to serve it. Allowing the ingredients to sit together too long will result in deep red feta, which I’ve always felt does spoil the appearance somewhat.
This makes a perfect light starter or you can bulk it out a bit for a healthy and delicious main course too. Just because it has raspberries doesn’t mean it will be suitable for a dessert though :D!! I hope you give it a try – let me know what you think, and do have a good week! I’ll have another bank holiday this week on Thursday. I don’t think I’ll be waking up early enough to be going to Paris on the spur of the moment again but maybe I’ll have some adventures which I can share with you all!
Beetroot, Feta and Raspberry Salad
[learn_more caption=”Video Recipe”]
Ingredients
For two people
- 2-3 medium-sized boiled Beets
- 125g Feta Cheese
- ~10 Raspberries
- A good handful of fresh Mint – ~8-10 leaves
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Freshly ground Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Only prepare when you’re ready to serve the salad – dice the beets finely and place into a bowl with the olive oil and mix well. Add in the raspberries and then dice the feta. Add the cheese to the bowl and then roll up all the mint leaves tightly along their length, before chopping as finely as possible to create a chiffonade. Add to the bowl with the balsamic vinegar and some freshly ground salt and pepper and mix gently.
- Serve the salad immediately. To serve, place a large cookie cutter onto a plate and spoon the salad into the mould. Press down gently before removing the cutter. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top and garnish with a couple of strips of fresh chive. Enjoy!
Absolutely beautiful, Charles. I would never have thought have putting raspberries with beetroot but will definitely try this
Thanks! The raspberries are a surprisingly good addition. It’s like strawberries with black pepper and balsamic vinegar in a rocket salad. Something that sounds odd but works really well! 🙂
I just made a beetroot salad last night! But I added goats cheese instead of the feta, and I had toasted almonds! Very nice indeed, and I shall certainly try your version, Charles. I like salty and sweet together quite well. Did you make your own feta? John at From the Bartolini Kitchens has a recipe on his site that I may try!
Hi Eva – I didn’t make my own feta, no, but I actually noticed John’s recipe the other night while exploring some other blogs I don’t often read that much and it looked delicious and FUN! I’d love to give it a try – I’ll look up what sort of things I need to do it!
Another bank holiday?! Them bankers sure have it good there 🙂
I LOVE beetroot and I’m pretty sure I’ll love this salad for breakfast, lunch AND dinner …. and probably dessert too! All my favorite ingredients! Oh joy!
Hi Ping – indeed, May is a real nice month. The only problem is, if you have the bad luck of having maybe 2 bank holidays falling on weekends then that’s it – you’ve lost them. France doesn’t do what England does, and “move” the bank holiday to the monday or friday before 😀
Hope you try the salad – it’s really yummy… just don’t forget the mint – that really makes it!
I love beets and I love to cook my own. I make a beet salad with feta served on a bed of spinach and mint leaves with a balsamic and grain mustard dressing. But I have never added fresh raspberries. I would like to try this. Unfortunately, as we are now heading into winter raspberries are at their maximum in terms of price (about $9.00 for 150gms) so I’ll try this but not until they are in season xx
Hi Charlie – your salad sounds great – I’ll remember your version for next time. The Spinach and mint leaf bed sounds awesome. $9 for 150g?? Holy cow… better hold off on those until next summer! 😮
Raspberries are such a rare treat for me that it would be hard for me to put them in any kind of salad, Charles. They are never inexpensive, even in season. I suppose I should plant a raspberry bush. But I could try this with wild blackberries at the end of the summer.
Hi Sharyn – I love them so much. People rave about strawberries but I’ve gotta say – raspberries are where it’s at! 🙂 Are there any fruit farms near where you live? They’re still not that cheap but you can usually get a vast quantity for the same price as the tiny little punnets in stores so you can get a better deal there usually. I’m the same though – I find it almost impossible to find blackcurrants here so I kind of treat them a little like gold dust when I can find a couple 😀
Wow, what an unusual mixture of flavors, but as a beet fan, I have a feeling I’d fall in love after one bite. I hope to fix this at home one day soon 🙂
Thanks Liz – it’s really a great flavour combination. The mint really makes it too!
That is a stunningly beautiful salad. I adore beetroot especially done like this – can´t stand the stuff in vinegar!
Hi Chica – hehe, I actually adore the stuff in vinegar. I actually miss it a lot, because all the stuff here is just plain boiled (which is also annoying because I can’t find it “raw”!).
This looks lovely and refreshing. I’ve never had raspberries in a salad before! I have a few awards for you on my blog. Details here http://themorethanoccasionalbaker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/awards.html
Thanks BA, and thanks so much for the awards – you’re too kind to think of me! 🙂
Gorgeous salad Charles,
Love the raspberries and beetroot combination. Easy, simple and stunning!
Thanks Asmita – the mint really ties it all together as well… one of my favourite salads!
I am digging all these bank holidays you have this month! So beets and raspberries huh? Well, you know how I feel about beets. That said, I do love raspberries…Hmm. I do want to like beets, so maybe this would help. Maybe. If not the raspberries, feta and mint would be good to me. 😉
Go on Kristy – be daring. Try some delicious, red beets! 😀 You can always pick the beet out as you mentioned and just enjoy the rest! Incidentally, do Mr N, Miss A and Mike like beets? It seems so many people hate them but damn, they’re so innocuous… Poor old beets 🙂
I just saw this picture on Foodgawker and couln’t stop appreciating!! The recipe is great and I am determined to try this now!!!
http://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much Purabi – I hope you give it a try! 🙂
Charles, what a wonderfully unique and beautiful spring salad. The fresh mint adds an unexpected and brilliant burst of freshness. I love the way you’ve assembled it into a ball too – makes for a lovely presentation.
Raspberries are one of my favourite summer salad add-ons… just love them! At one time, I had 4 thriving raspberry bushes in my backyard. I won’t blame any particular golden retriever for the destruction of said bushes (arggghh!!). Oh well, I was back at it this weekend enjoying some planting in the sunshine. Mother’s day is a great excuse to putter :).
Oh no – doggie-destruction. I was just reading Greg’s blog about his dog destroying his garlic patch. Eek! I have to say, I’m new to the whole raspberries in salad… Must experiment more. I guess red-currants would go really well in salads too maybe? Did you try them before? (in a salad I mean).
Oh yeah baby:
http://www.inspirededibles.ca/2011/07/market-salad-with-wild-arugula-red.html
🙂
Ah, thanks! I’ll try that… to be honest, the damn things are sour as all hell so I think a savoury dish is a far more appropriate place for them, rather than stuffing them into a dessert. I’ve yet to have a dessert where they really “worked” and didn’t shrivel my face up like I was sucking on an industrial strength lemon!
That would be an amazing starter. Since I am not likely to get any raspberries fresh or otherwise I won’t make it but it sure looks YUMMY!
Thanks Debra! The raspberries are a great addition but totally optional. The salad works really well, even without the berries! 🙂
Beautiful presentation, Charles! I have to confess that I don’t have a great appreciation for beets, but you may have me reconsidering with this salad.
Thanks Laura – poor old beets… seems people either love them or detest them. They’re so mild and harmless too 😀 I hope you decide to give it a try – it’s really tasty 🙂
Charles, it looks like a fabulous light salad! Raspberries must add a sophisticated twist to the taste as much as they add a beautiful visual accent. Fantastic photos!
Thanks so much Sissi – I think the mint is the most important addition of all in this salad. Without it, nothing would be the same, but the raspberries really do make it so exciting too! 🙂
This sort of salad is just my favorite! I’m crazy about beets.. who isn’t? I think the mint.. feta.. everything would be the perfect combination. I’ll have to try this one.. PS.. I love your food photography too! xo Smidge
Thanks so much Barb – it’s one of those combinations which work really well – I hope you are able to try it, and thank you for your kind comment too! 🙂
Beets are planted, raspberries should be flowering soon and mint is growing in a pot, only thing I need to buy is the feta. Making this salad as soon as the harvests are ready.
Hi Norma, you’re so lucky – I’d love to grow my own raspberries. I remember picking my own from a fruit farm many years ago. It was SO fun, and the smell from the passages between the bushes was incredible!!!
Do hope you enjoy the salad. It’s my favourite salad these days. Just need a nice piece of crusty bread and it’s a wonderful light meal!
I must try this very soon. Beets are one of my all time favourite food items and I’ve been eating lots of salads lately, so this is a natural for me. i can’t wait to see how those raspberries taste in this though….I just can’t imagine it and I would never have come up with this on my own. Thanks again Charles. Hope you’re having a good one!
Hi Barb – “all time favourite foods”? Haha, wow, I never thought I’d hear anyone saying this about beets before, but I’m glad you’re a fan! Let me know if you give it a try – it’s a wonderful combination!
This salad looks lovely but unfortunately, I am one of those that just doesn’t like beets, so I’ll probably pass. I’ve tried eating them several different ways without success. However, I bet the combination of raspberry and feta is awesome! Hope you’re having a great week!
Thanks MJ – too bad you’re not a fan of beets! Did you ever try the russian soup, borscht? I think it’s a delicious soup… maybe worth a try if you haven’t had it yet!
What an interesting dish! A stunner, for sure 😉
Thanks Squishy 🙂
I have all these ingredients in my fridge and it’s so rare!!! I even have a mint (just bought a pot of mint for garnish purpose) which I don’t normally have. This must be a real destiny. I’m making some Western meal tomorrow so I can prepare this as salad! Raspberry was unexpected ingredient in this salad and it’s going to be interesting! Looking forward to it!
So, Nami? Don’t leave me hanging here my friend! Did you try it in the end? Did you like it? Maybe you thought it was the most dreadful slop to ever pass by your plate? 😀 I hope you were able to try it (and liked it) anyway though 🙂
love beets, love this dish with the incorporation of the feta. Savory and sweet and perfect for summer.
Thanks KB 🙂 Definitely a perfect summer starter or light meal!
I love beets. Mostly I eat them pickled or juiced. I bet the beets really give the feta a nice flavor and good contract with salt and sweet. The colorrunning into the feta doesn’t bother me a bit. This is a dish I really want to make. Thanks Charles.
Thanks Suzi – yeah, taste-wise, “purple feta” isn’t a big deal, but it can ruin a good photo. I just love pickled beetroot… I’m growing some right now… I hope I’ll be able to pickle some when they’re done!
I love beets however they are prepared. Your recipe is so different with the raspberries added. I’m sure it is terrific.
Thanks Karen – it’s a really great combination with the raspberries… I never would have thought it to be honest!
Now Charles don’t get excited but I had a dish with beetroot which I actually liked for the first time this very week!! It was the beetroot hummus at Hugh F. W.’s River Cottage Canteen. After all these years I may ‘possibly’ be starting to like it…Next step is learning how to cook it now without getting in a purple mess then I may then be brave enough to try your dish!!
Hi GD – haha, you know, since reading your HFW post this morning, we actually bought River Side Cottage on iTunes and started watching it this evening (I connect my English bank account to it so thankfully I can buy English stuff instead of the dreadful drivel they have on the French store!).
I’m intrigued by the beet hummus… I’m going to have to try it methinks!
Me and beets have been enemies for a very long time but we made peace recently and I love exploring new recipes using
We don’t get rasberries here, do you think I can use another berry instead?
Hi Sawsan – good to hear you and beets have been reconciled 😀 Can you not even get frozen raspberries? I’m not sure what kind of berries you get there but other ones would work – just make sure they’re ones with a big of a zing and you’re good to go!
Hello Charles, I finally made this for lunch today, I used cherries because they are the only berries I could find.The salad was amazing! a wonderful balance of sweet and salty.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I know I will be making it again and again
I want every piece of food that you have featured here. I love raspberry salads most of all!
http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88
Thanks Bonnie :)It’s very kind of you to say!
This is such a sassy little salad! LOVE!
Thanks Ashley – makes a wonderful little starter 🙂