July Recipe – Roasted Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad

This Roasted Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad delivers a heavy hit of earthy flavours from the beetroot, tempers it with creaminess from the goats cheese and sharpness from balsamic vinegar to deliver a wonderfully balanced salad  bursting with Summer flavour. Serve it up on its own or as a side dish.

Ingredients:

250g cooked beetroot (not pickled)
4 tbs olive oil
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
200g green beans, trimmed
145g mixed leaves
1/2 cucumber, peeled into ribbons
100g goats cheese round, halved horizontally
50g walnuts, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Heat oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6 and put the beetroot in a roasting tin with 1 tbs oil, 1 tbs vinegar and plenty of seasoning. Roast for 8-10 minutes until sticky.
2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the green beans, cook for 1 minute, then drain. Toss in with the beetroot and roast for a further 5 minutes.
3. Make the dressing by combining the remaining oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Season well. Put the mixed leaves and cucumber in a bowl and toss together with a little dressing.
4. Dip the cheese halves in the chopped walnut so the tops are covered, then pop in the roasting tin with the beetroot and green beans for a few minutes, to soften and toast the nuts.
5. Pile the salad onto plates and serve with the remaining dressing drizzled over the top.