I have been eyeing off candy beetroots in cookbooks and on social media for years, so you can imagine my sheer delight when I stumbled across them at the farmers market last weekend! How brilliant. I couldn’t decide how to best use them- my initial thought was to re-do a raw beetroot ravioli recipe I wanted to revamp, but unfortunately, the last time I went to Thailand I took my mandolin with me, and it rusted from the salty sea air in my open-air kitchen!
So, this salad was what transpired instead. The flavours work so wonderfully here. Its a really simple salad to make but incredibly pretty and full of flavours and textures. If you can’t find the candy beets, of course, you can use normal beetroots also! People tend to miss cheese when they go vegan, and this salad is a real treat because the cashew cheese tastes just like a creamy, salty feta in this dish. I used a store-bought one from my favourite company Peace Love & Vegetables who do ship around Australia. You are welcome to use any brand though, or if you feel inspired and have the time, try making your own!
BEETROOT, WALNUT & CASHEW CHEESE SALAD
Ingredients:
- 1 candy beet, thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 radish, thinly sliced
- 1 cup mixed leafy greens, roughly chopped (I used baby spinach and kale)
- 1 blood orange, finely sliced (use regular orange if you can’t find a blood orange!)
- ¼ cup walnuts
- Several teaspoons of cashew cheese – use as much as your tastebuds fancy!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon
- 1 teaspoon coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- A good pinch of salt
Method:
Place the beetroot, cucumber, radish, mixed green leaves, orange and walnuts in a large bowl and mix gently with your hands to combine.
In a small glass or bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon, coconut or apple cider vinegar, mustard and salt and whisk well to combine.
Mix the dressing through the salad and then serve. Feel free to top with extra cashew cheese and walnuts as you wish.