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This is just a perfect salad. I always say some salads are just fine. They do the job; you eat them, but they are bland, and you aren’t thinking about the next time you’ll make it. But this salad, this gorgeous Beetroot Salad with Feta, is very different. And the best part is it takes 10 minutes to pull together, start to finish, making it the perfect easy salad after a long day. A weeknight dream!
Table of Contents
Of course, all salads are customizable, so you can swap things in for what you’d prefer (see my suggestions below), but I truly recommend trying this exact combination first.
The beetroot is soft and sweet, with the sweet sun-dried tomatoes, salty feta, earthy lentils, crunchy walnuts, and peppery arugula (rocket); it’s a perfectly balanced salad. I use the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes as the dressing for the salad. It’s full of flavor, and with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, it coats the salad so nicely. Sometimes instead of feta in the salad, I love to serve this alongside Feta Saganaki – it’s so good.
Why you will love this recipe
- It comes together in 10 minutes or less (I have made this in 5 minutes before).
- It uses pre-cooked ingredients for maximum ease. By that I mean the pre-cooked lentil pouches and packs of beetroot. You can make it all from scratch, of course, but I love shortcuts like this.
- The salad is perfectly balanced with all the different components that are sweet, salty, crunchy, earthy, and punchy.
Ingredients
- Puy lentils – I like the pre-cooked version in pouches (like with my lentil bolognese), but you can also cook at home.
- Beetroot – The small vacuum-packed ones that are pre-cooked are great and so easy.
- Arugula (rocket)– Pre-washed is the easiest one to buy if you can find it.
- Feta – Creamy and salty, it balances out the rest of the salad. I like full-fat feta as it’s a lot creamier, but a lower-fat one would also work
- Walnuts – For a bit of crunch. You could use other nuts too, but I find walnuts are best.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – The oil-packed ones in the jar are the best. I use the oil as the salad dressing after, and I also find the jarred ones are more cost-effective than the fresh ones from the deli section.
- Scallions (spring onions) – Adds just a little bite to the salad. I like to use the whole thing: the green tops and the whites at the bottom too.
Substitutions and variations
Lentils: I like Puy lentils. Merchant Gourmet do great pouches, but other lentils, such as green lentils, work too. I wouldn’t do split lentils as they don’t hold their shape. You can also buy lentils in a can, though they aren’t salted and don’t have the same flavor as the pouches, so just make sure you season well.
Beetroot: If you can’t find pre-cooked beetroot, you can roast fresh beetroot. Peel the beetroots and chop into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 428°F (220°C/200°C fan) for 30-40 minutes. Beetroot obviously stains hands and boards, so wear gloves if that bothers you. I just make sure to wash my hands and board straight after, and a little bit of pink on my fingers doesn’t really bother me.
Arugula (rocket): Arugula is good because it’s peppery, so I think it’s best here, but you can use other leaves too. Try using watercress, pea shoots, or any other mixed leaves.
Feta: This would also be great with goat’s cheese.
Walnuts: I would also use almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, or even cashews. Experiment a bit and see what you like. I like to toast nuts before adding to the salad, either in a pan, keeping it moving, or in a 392°F (200°C/180°C fan) oven until fragrant and golden.
How to make this simple Beetroot Salad:
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Heat the lentils according to package instructions. Chop the beetroot (wash your cutting board right away to avoid staining) and add to a large bowl.
TWO: Add arugula, warmed lentils, crumbled feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and scallions. Use your hands to crush the walnuts and add to the bowl.
THREE: Drizzle with a few tablespoons of sun-dried tomato oil, and season with salt and pepper.
FOUR: Toss the salad together, then serve!
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Salad dressing: I love it with just the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes as it’s flavorful and often ends up in the bin otherwise, so I like to use it. But it would also be a good use of a classic French vinaigrette. In a jar, add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil, along with salt and pepper. Shake together, and this becomes a lovely emulsified dressing.
Frequently asked questions
The lentil experts, Merchant Gourmet, have a very good step-by-step guide to cooking lentils. In short, they need rinsing before adding to a saucepan. You need 1 part lentil to 3 parts water, e.g. 3.5 oz (100 g) lentils to 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/300 ml) water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer for around 20-25 minutes until tender. Cover with a lid and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving. The residual heat is an important step at the end!
Yes, you can, but they do tend to be less flavourful than the pouches. Just make sure you season really well before serving as they do need salt.
Once it’s mixed together, I would eat it pretty quickly as the arugula wilts. But leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and placed in the fridge for 2 days, and it will still be delicious.
Yes, you can prep the salad 3 days in advance; just don’t add the dressing or arugula (rocket). Dress and toss in the arugula at the last minute before eating. It does keep well overall, though, so it’s a good prep-ahead salad for lunches on the go.
Other recipes you might enjoy
Try Jennifer Aniston’s favorite salad, with quinoa and chickpeas, or this Greek Pasta Salad with Orzo. If you want a summer salad, I love this Tomato & Strawberry Salad or try my Potato Salad with Dill Pickles. Beetroot is a great ingredient, so this Sticky Chicken and Onion Traybake with Beetroot is so good. For more feta recipes, my Lemon & Feta Orzo is a great one to try.
Pancake Recipes
Kaiserschmarrn (Traditional Austrian Pancakes)
Easy Baking Recipes
Cornflake Dream Cake with Mini Eggs
Christmas Recipes
The Best Chocolate Salami
Easy Dessert Recipes
Chocolate Budino (Creamy Italian Pudding)
If you tried this Beetroot Salad or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Beetroot Salad with Feta and Arugula (Rocket)
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz Puy lentils, in the packet; I like Merchant Gourmet
- 4 small pre-cooked beetroots, ideally vacuum packed
- 2 handfuls arugula (rocket)
- 3.5 oz feta, crumbled (about 2/3 cup crumbled; usually half a block)
- Handful of walnuts, ideally roasted
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped with oil reserved
- 2 small scallions (spring onions), chopped
Instructions
- Heat the lentils according to package instructions. You want them warm but not piping hot, as you don’t want to wilt the arugula.
- Chop the beetroot (wash your cutting board immediately to avoid staining) and add to a large bowl.
- Add the arugula, warmed lentils, crumbled feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and scallions. Use your hands to crush the walnuts and add to the bowl. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of sun-dried tomato oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss together.
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To store: Once it’s mixed together, I would eat it pretty quickly, as the arugula (rocket) wilts. But leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and placed in the fridge for 2 days, and it will still be delicious. Make ahead: You can prep the salad 3 days in advance, just don’t add the dressing or arugula (rocket). Dress and toss in the arugula (rocket) at the last minute before eating. It does keep well overall though so it’s a good prep-ahead salad for lunches on the go. Dressing: If you want to make your own dressing like a French vinaigrette instead of the sundried tomato oil, you can do so. In a jar, add 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 3 tbsp olive oil, along with salt and pepper. Shake together, and this becomes a lovely emulsified dressing.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
