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Beetroot makes a comeback in these three salads

Have you ever ordered a hamburger from the local take-away shop in Australia and discovered a slice of pickled beetroot wedged in between the tomato, lettuce and beef patty? Bite into this quintessential Aussie burger or salad sandwich and you’ll likely get drips of blood-red juice running down your fingers. Just like eating vegemite for breakfast, it’s a tradition that’s lasted through the generations. 

It’s fitting that in Australia beetroot salads are trending item on the menu, where the canned version of the vegetable is replaced for the fresh variety. It’s time to embrace the red stains on your chopping board and start adding beets to your salads.   

In spirit of the star of the Aussie burger and versatile vegetable in itself, here are three awesome salads where beetroot takes the centre stage – served in three different ways. 

Raw

This is about as quick and easy as it gets to serve beetroot in a salad. Inspired by the German winter, this recipe combines grated beets, zesty citrus flavours and crème fraîche for added creaminess. 

Just wash, peel and start grating. Recipe here>> Red beetroot and apple salad 

Roasted

Fresh raspberries, red onion, oregano and goats cheese seems like an unusual combination but once you add roasted beetroot to the salad it all makes sense. Earthy flavours, juiciness and ripe red colours are the key elements that make this salad a winner. 

Wrap up a few whole, washed beets and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Recipe here>> Roasted beetroot salad with goat cheese and raspberry

Boiled

The colour red is the theme of this salad, which combines ripe and juicy beets with the crunch of sweet pepper and raddichio leaves. If you enjoy salads that highlight bitter-sweet flavours – this one’s for you.

Recipe here >> Sweet pepper, raddichio and beetroot salad 

P.S. If you do end up with red stains on your chopping board, here’s a hassle-free way to remove them >> How to remove beetroot stains from chopping boards