Look at these red beauties!! I don’t know about you, but I love the intense color of beetroot. Yet, beetroot does not only impress with her pretty appearance. It’s also a superfood, and became very popular in the last few years due to its high nutrient count. Beautiful, healthy, and tasty, what more could you want!?
Beetroot is a very diverse vegetable and can be prepared in many different ways. If you’ve only tried canned beetroot swimming in a bath of vinegar, you might not be a big fan of it. If this is the case, please try this recipe, as I’m pretty sure it will change your image of beetroot for good! The combination of roasted beetroot and feta features a deep, condensed flavor. The feta cheese is the perfect salty counterpart to the sweetness of the beetroot, a flavor that comes forward even more when you roast it. The addition of hazelnut pesto compliments with its earthy, herby touch.
The outside of the roasted beetroot is tender but not super crispy. If you roast it longer you’ll get crunchy, chips-like roots, sacrificing some of the flavor. That’s why I serve it while it is still soft and tender.
I like to serve it on the baking tray in the middle of the table as an appetizer or starter, but you can certainly also serve it as a side dish, or in a salad. Let me know how you like this version of beetroot- I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
ROASTED BEETS AND FETA WITH HAZELNUT PESTO
INGREDIENTS
Roasted Beets and Feta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp liquid honey
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 pinches of salt
- A little black pepper
- 300 g raw beets
- 50 g feta cheese goat
Hazelnut Pesto
- 30 g hazelnuts
- 60 grams of basil
- 100 ml olive oil
- ½ lime juiced
- ½ tsp salt
- A little black pepper
Caramelized Walnuts
- 30 g walnuts
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ lime juiced
INSTRUCTIONS
Roasted Beets and Feta
- Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius (390° Fahrenheit).
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Peel the beets, and cut them into slices approx. 1 mm thick. Mix the slices with the oil marinade and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for approx. 20 minutes until the beet is tender and slightly crispy. During the last 5 minutes, add the feta cheese and let it brown slightly.
Hazelnut Pesto
- In the food processor bowl, finely grind the hazelnuts. Add the basil and continue processing until the basil is finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to mix for a few seconds, and then, set aside.
Caramelized Walnuts
- Roughly chop walnuts. Heat the sugar with 1 tablespoon of water in a small skillet until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and walnuts, mix them with sugar until the sugar has crystallized around the walnuts. Place the skillet back on the heat, continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes, while stirring constantly, until the sugar becomes liquidy again and fully coats the walnuts. The toasted-nut smell and golden brown color will appear when they are fully caramelized. Make sure to remove them from the heat before they get burnt. Leave to cool on parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the beetroot with hazelnut pesto and caramelized walnuts and serve immediately.
