Hearty kale salad with roasted beetroot, feta and apple – with quinoa and an orange vinaigrette.
Kale salad with roasted beetroot, feta and apple – a crisp, substantial and really good autumn salad with quinoa, pistachios and a fresh orange vinaigrette. It brings together sweet, sharp, salty and crunchy in the loveliest way, and it fills you up without being heavy.
I peel the beetroot and cut it into chunky pieces before tossing it with honey, olive oil, thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper. It then goes into the oven until tender and lightly caramelised at the edges. The honey brings out the beetroot’s natural sweetness, and it simply tastes so good with the salty feta and the fresh apple.
While the beetroot roasts, I cook white quinoa and make the vinaigrette. I make it with both freshly squeezed orange and a little lemon – the orange brings sweetness and plenty of freshness, while the lemon adds just the extra acidity the salad needs.
The kale is rinsed thoroughly and roughly chopped, and the apple is diced. After that, it is really just a matter of assembling the salad on a large platter. I start with the kale and scatter the honey-roasted beetroot, quinoa, apple and feta over it. Finally, I top it with pistachios and pour over the vinaigrette, then give the top layer a gentle toss.
It is one of the salads I really love once autumn arrives and beetroot is back in season. It is substantial enough that there is actually something to eat, while still offering plenty of freshness and crunch.
Serve the kale salad with white or red meat, a savoury tart or as part of a larger spread. It would also be lovely on an autumn or Christmas table – and with the quinoa in the salad, it can easily take on a bigger role on the plate.
Kale salad with roasted beetroot, feta and apple
Ingredients
- 500 g beetroot
- 1 tsp honey
- Olive oil
- Thyme dried
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salad
- 100 ml white quinoa
- 120 g kale, roughly chopped
- 1 apple, diced
- 150 g feta
- 25 g pistachios, roughly chopped
Method
- Peel the beetroot and cut it into chunky pieces.
- Toss it with the honey, oil and a little dried thyme – season with salt and freshly ground pepper and spread it out on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Roast the beetroot in a preheated conventional oven (top and bottom heat) at 220°C for about 25 minutes. Then leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir or shake together the ingredients for the vinaigrette – season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Also cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions, then rinse it in plenty of cold water.
- Spread the kale on a large platter and top with the roasted beetroot, quinoa, apple, feta and pistachios. Pour over the vinaigrette, toss the top layer lightly and serve.
Nutrition
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