Raw Beetroot and Feta Salad

Healthy raw beetroot and feta salad with apples, crisp and delicious autumn or winter beet salad with a simple vinaigrette.

A super simple raw beet salad with feta, apples and sunflower seeds. So good, you will keep making it again and again.

If you haven’t had raw beetroot before, you should definitely give it a try, raw beetroots are amazing. Not against cooked or roasted beets, they are delightful as well, but raw beets are really something special: crisp and refreshing, sweet and earthy in flavor.

This beetroot and feta salad is a great way of introducing your taste buds to fresh, raw beetroot. The intense sweetness of the beets is perfectly balanced by the slight tanginess of the apples and the saltiness of the feta cheese. Add those amazing roasted sunflower seeds and you will be in heaven.

What do fresh beets taste like?

Many people avoid buying and eating raw beetroot, fearing the earthy flavor they might have heard of, some people even go as far as to say that beets taste like dirt!!!! But don’t be afraid, give raw beets a try, once you know the taste, you will love it!

Apparently, “the earthy taste of beets is due to an organic compound which microbes produce in the soil, a compound called geosmin. This compound also gives off an earthy smell of a freshly plowed field. Spinach, lettuce, and mushrooms also have high geosmin .”

Benefits of eating raw beetroot

Eating raw vegetables is always a good idea when you think about nutrients and health benefits and raw beetroot is no exception.

• For instance, they are a good source of fiber, folate, iron, vitamin C, zinc, copper, and so on, some of these components are good in boosting immunity.
• Low in calories, thus good for weight loss.
• Good source of nitrates, which can help keep the blood pressure in check, and, apparently, raw beetroot is even better than cooked beetroot in this regard.
• Studies have shown that they can increase athletic performance. Athletes consume beetroot juice a couple of hours before training and competing to improve the use of oxygen and delay the point of exhaustion.
• They have anti-inflammatory properties.
• The fiber in beets helps with digestion.
• They might help support mental help by increasing oxygen flow.
• The antioxidants they contain might help in cancer prevention.

How to make raw beetroot salad?

Roast the sunflower seeds:

• Heat a large non-stick pan on medium heat.
• Roast the seeds for a few minutes until golden and fragrant.
• Shake the pan often, so that the sunflower seeds can become golden on both sides without burning.
• Don’t leave the pan unattended, stand by, and shake it often.

Prepare vegetables:

• Wash the roots to remove any dirt. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Wear latex gloves, if you are worried about staining your skin.
• Slice very thinly. Use a large chef’s knife. For more accurate slices, use a mandoline. (Amazon affiliate links)
• Set aside in a bowl. Keep the beetroot and apple slices separate.
• Quarter the apple, remove the core, and cut the apple quarters into thin slices as well. Immediately toss the apple slices with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, this will help prevent the apple from getting brown. Set aside.

Dressing:

• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil and sugar. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble:

• Add about 1/3 of the dressing to the bowl containing the beetroot slices. Toss gently to coat
• Add about 1/3 of the dressing to the bowl containing the apple slices. Toss gently to coat.
• The reason I advise tossing the beets and apple slices with the dressing separately are purely esthetical, otherwise, the apple slices will turn pink.
• Arrange everything on a platter.
• Crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle the sunflower seeds and the chopped chives all over.
• Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

How to serve?

Serve the raw beetroot salad immediately.

This dish is also a great side dish for chicken, for instance. Why not try it together with the skillet chicken breast, prosciutto wrapped chicken, crispy Parmesan chicken or chicken breast fritters?

It also makes a light yet satisfying meal on its own as well. Serve it with some whole wheat bread, yogurt bread, or crispbread to make it more filling.

More recipes with beetroot:

Salad a la Russe

Beetroot Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling

Roasted Beetroot with Chickpeas