Beetroot Feta Walnut Salad

This beetroot feta walnut salad has everything you need in a salad; salty feta, earthy beetroot and sweet spicy walnuts. It makes a delicious side to your favourite barbecued meat or fish, or enjoy this feta beetroot salad as a main dish.

Feta and beetroot are such a classic ingredient pairing. Add some baby spinach leaves, and you have a simple and delicious salad which is perfect enjoyed as both a summer salad (with this refreshing summer elderflower cocktail), or with pesto lasagna and winter salad with crispy parmentier potatoes.

Jump to:

• Why we love this recipe
• Ingredients notes and substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• FAQ
• My recipe tips
• Serving Suggestions
• Make ahead / storage
• Variations
• More easy salad recipes for you
• Beetroot Feta Walnut Salad

Why we love this recipe

• Feta cheese makes a salad! It’s salty and creamy and goes with so many in-season vegetables, from Greek salad to carrot salad, green bean salad and this herb platter.
• This beetroot salad is such a versatile recipe – take it along to BBQs and picnics, or serve at dinner parties alongside baked chicken thighs.
• Mixing walnuts with honey and baking them makes them similar to a candied walnut (but with much less sugar!)

Ingredients notes and substitutions

• Feta – I have used Danish feta, Greek feta and basic smooth feta from the supermarket and all work well!
• Beetroot – I like to use plain cooked beetroot, but you can also use roast beetroot in this salad.
• Baby spinach – feel free to sub in pepper rocket / arugula or your favourite lettuce leaves.
• Walnuts – honey roast walnuts are an extra optional step, but one I think works so well in the salad, you can just toast the walnuts if you prefer.
• Orange – fresh orange juice is sharp, sweet and delicious both in the orange vinaigrette and the walnuts.
• Oil – use extra virgin olive oil if you can as the vinaigrette is simple so you want maximum flavour from the oil.
• Red wine vinegar – you can use balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.

How to make this recipe

• Cook the beetroot: Place the beetroot in to a medium – large saucepan and cover with cold water.
  • Bring to the boil and boil for 30-50 minutes depending on the size of the beetroot. When tender drain and leave to cool before you peel and chop them.
• Make the honey walnuts:
  • Preheat the oven to 170˚C fan / 190˚C /340˚F / 374˚F.
  • Line a baking dish with baking paper / baking parchment.
  • In a small bowl whisk the honey with the orange juice and smoked paprika, then stir in the walnuts and mix until the walnuts are coated.
  • Pour the walnut honey mixture onto the lined baking dish, spread out so that the walnuts are not all clumped together and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden, stirring halfway through.
  • Leave to cool in the dish.
• Make the Orange Vinaigrette:
  • In a small bowl mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar and orange juice together and season with salt and black pepper – remembering the feta is salty.
• Assemble the beetroot salad:
  • Peel the cooled beetroot either with a blunt knife, some kitchen paper towel or your fingers under running water, and slice the beetroot into sliced ½ cm (¼”) thick then arrange on a plate with the baby spinach, cooled walnuts and feta.
  • Tip: Once you mix the feta will become purple from the beetroot so it’s best to not stir if you want a striking salad.
  • Drizzle over the orange dressing and serve straight away or cover and leave in the fridge for up to 2 days.

FAQ

My recipe tips

• Leave the beetroot to cool before trying to remove the skin and chopping. Peeling hot beetroot is not a fun or easy thing to do!
• When peeling the beetroot, wear gloves if you don’t want to stain your hands purple and place the beetroot on non absorbent surfaces – the juice can be pretty hard to remove from a wooden chopping board.
• Use good quality olive oil for the best flavour in your vinaigrette.

Serving Suggestions

• If you want to make the beetroot walnut feta salad in to a filling meal, serve with crusty bread, Duchess potatoes (which can be made ahead – a great potato dish for entertaining) or some slices of air fryer garlic bread.
• This feta beetroot walnut salad is a beautiful pairing to lamb; either BBQ lamb chops or cutlets or grilled lamb chops.

Make ahead / storage

• This beetroot salad will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. If you are planning to serve it for a party or when entertaining I would personally assemble it the day of serving it possible. You can make the dressing, cook the beetroot and the walnuts a few days beforehand so all you need to do on the day is assemble the salad.

Variations

• Salad dressing: If you want another flavour of salad dressing, replace the orange with lemon in the vinaigrette, or use a balsamic vinegar dressing. Flavour it with dijon or wholegrain mustard or add some fresh herbs such as chives or parsley.
• Orange: add the segments of a fresh orange to make a delicious beetroot orange and feta salad.
• Honey – use maple syrup to make the sweet walnuts instead of honey. They will taste different but will still be sweet and sticky.
• Vegan – swap in vegan feta cheese and use maple syrup in place of the honey.
• Pear – add a thinly sliced pear to the salad just before serving,
• Roasted beetroot salad – to roast beetroot, preheat the oven to 200˚C / 400˚F. Place the washed beetroot on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season with salad. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the beetroot are tender. Peel the same way as boiled beetroot.
• This salad is easily adapted to make a beet and goats cheese salad, just swap the feta cheese for your favourite goat cheese.

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