Beetroot Maple Pecan Salad

This beetroot maple pecan salad is a nutrient-packed dish that’s perfect for any occasion. With steamed beetroot, crunchy maple-roasted pecans, feta, and fresh greens, topped with a tangy, sweet vinaigrette, it’s sure to impress!

I always make this beetroot maple pecan salad when I see beautiful beets with the tops attached. The stems and leaves are all part of this delicious and super nourishing salad. It truely is, food-as-medicine.

The flavours in this delicious dish are perfect to accompany Christmas meats this festive season. Enjoy!

Health benefits

Beetroot is a rich source of fibre and many valuable and protective nutrients. It is a unique source of betaine, a nutrient that is known to help protect against inflammation. It also supports liver detoxification, improves vascular risk factors, enhances energy and is likely to help prevent numerous chronic diseases. The watercress is another very nutrient dense food. With a high antioxidant content it is protective across a wide range of health conditions.

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Ingredients

This salad includes beetroot, maple roasted pecans and feta. The watercress and beet leaves provide a peppery flavour to the salad.

How to make this beetroot maple pecan salad

To make this roast beet salad, first prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients and letting it infuse for at least an hour. Steam the beetroot until tender and roast the pecans with maple syrup. Once everything has cooled, toss the beet leaves, watercress, cooked beetroot, pecans, and feta together with the dressing, and serve immediately.

Serving suggestions and how to store

This salad is best served fresh but can be prepped ahead by steaming the beetroot, roasting the pecans, and making the dressing in advance. Store each element separately in airtight containers, then assemble just before serving for maximum crunch and freshness.

Vary this beetroot maple pecan salad to suit your needs

For a dairy-free or vegan option, swap the feta for vegan cheese or dollops of cashew cream. To make it nut-free, replace the pecans with maple-roasted pumpkin seeds. For a fructose-friendly version, use rice malt syrup instead of maple syrup and skip the currants. If you don’t have sherry vinegar, you can sub red wine vinegar and a teaspoon of maple syrup or balsamic vinegar. The feta can also be subbed with goat cheese if you prefer. 

Beetroot, Maple Pecan Salad

Prep 10 minutes minutes

Cook 20 minutes minutes

Total 30 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

Beetroot is my favourite vegetable to use root to stem. The whole plant is bursting with so much nourishment and it’s super delicious when combined with a tasty dressing and the sweet, protein-rich pecans.

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Ingredients

Dressing

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar (can sub red wine vinegar and a teaspoon of maple syrup)
• 90 ml extra virgin olive oil -extra virgin (⅓ cup)
• 40 g currants (¼ cup)

Salad

• 4 raw beetroot (medium) washed & leaves trimmed
• 50 g beetroot leaves & stems (the inner, younger leaves are best) **
• 125 g pecan nuts (1 cup)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 100 g watercress See note below **
• 100 g feta cheese

Method

• Begin by making the dressing. Combine all of the ingredients together in a jar and set aside for at least 1 hour (you could also make this a day ahead).
• Preheat your oven to 150℃/380°F (fan-forced).
• For the salad, cut the beetroot into quarters and steam for 15-20 mins or until tender enough for a knife or fork to slide in easily. Once cooked, remove from the basket and allow them to cool before removing the skin by rubbing with a cloth or peeling.
• Set aside the young leaves (with the watercress) and finely dice the stems. Add them to the steamer basket to cook for 3-5 mins (or until just tender). Allow to cool fully.
• Whilst the beetroot is cooking, toss the pecans with the maple syrup and put into the pre-heated oven to roast for 10 mins.
• Just before serving, assemble the salad by placing all the ingredients in a serving bowl and tossing through the dressing.
• Enjoy immediately.
• ** feel free to substitute the watercress or beet leaves with any other leafy green (like rocket, baby spinach or cos).

Variations

Dairy-free and vegan

Replace the feta with a good quality vegan cheese or blobs of cashew cream.

Fructose friendly

Replace the maple syrup with rice malt syrup. Omit the currants.

Nut-free

Replace the pecans with pumpkin seeds. They are also very delicious roasted with the maple syrup.

Time-saving Tip

You can always make the dressing and steam the beetroot and stems the day before. Also roast the pecans and store each part separately in airtight containers. Then simply allow to return to room temperature and assemble the salad before serving.

 

I hope you love this root to tip salad. Let me know if you try it by posting a comment below!

Course: Salad

Author: Georgia Harding

instructions pepper salt taste mustard toast drizzle 

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