Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Roasting: 40–60 minutes
Total: about 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Style: Mediterranean-inspired, vegetarian
Ingredients
For the salad
4 medium red beets — about 500 g
1–2 large cucumbers — English/Persian preferred
100–120 g feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
1–2 tbsp fresh parsley, optional
¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced — optional
¼ cup toasted walnuts, optional
A little lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red-chili flakes, optional
Lemon dressing
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
¼ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
The basic beet-cucumber-feta-dill combination is also commonly made with a simpler lemon-and-olive-oil vinaigrett Detailed method
1. Roast the beets
Heat oven to 200–220°C (400–425°F).
Wash the beets and trim the leaves/root ends.
Wrap each beet loosely in foil, or place them in a covered roasting dish.
Roast for approximately 40–60 minutes, depending on size.
They’re ready when a knife slides easily into the center.
Let them cool until comfortable to handle.
Rub off the skins using your fingers or a paper towel.
Cut into chunky wedges or roughly 2–3 cm cubes.
Roasting concentrates the beet’s natural sweetness and gives the salad the caramelized flavor visible in the photograph. Similar versions roast beets at around 200°C/400°F for 45–60 minutes.
V
VitalityRecipes
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Tip: Wear disposable gloves if you don’t want beetroot staining on your hands.
2. Prepare the cucumber
Wash and dry the cucumber.
For an English or Persian cucumber, leave the skin on. For a conventional large cucumber, peeling some or all of the skin is optional.
Cut into:
thick rounds,
half-moons, or
chunky pieces.
Pat particularly watery cucumber dry with paper towel so it doesn’t dilute the dressing.
3. Toast the walnuts — if using
Heat a dry frying pan over medium-low heat.
Add ¼ cup walnuts and toast for about 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove as soon as they smell nutty and fragrant. Cool, then roughly chop.
This gives the salad the crunchy element that appears to be missing from the pictured version but works extremely well with the beets and feta.
4. Make the dressing
Whisk together:
olive oil + lemon juice + red-wine vinegar + Dijon + honey + garlic + salt + pepper.
Taste it.
You want:
acidity from lemon/vinegar,
slight sweetness,
fruity olive-oil flavor,
enough salt to complement the feta.
If it tastes too sharp, add a tiny amount of honey. If too sweet, add lemon juice.
5. Dress the beets first
Put the cooled beet pieces into a large bowl.
Add about half the dressing and gently toss.
Let them sit for 10–15 minutes.
This seasons the beetroot internally rather than simply coating the outside.
6. Assemble
Add:
cucumber
red onion, if using
most of the dill
parsley, if using
walnuts, if using
Add the remaining dressing and toss very gently.
Finally fold in the feta.
Don’t aggressively mix it—the goal is to keep recognizable white pieces of feta rather than turning everything pink.
7. Plate like the photograph
For the same dramatic presentation:
Put several beet chunks on a wide white plate.
Nestle cucumber pieces between them.
Scatter feta generously over the top.
Add lots of loose fresh dill.
Add toasted walnuts.
Finish with lemon zest and black pepper.
Drizzle a little extra olive oil around the plate.
Add a few drops of balsamic reduction if desired.
For maximum color contrast, don’t combine everything too far in advance; beet juice will gradually stain the feta and cucumber pink.
G
Good Neighbor Gardens
Nut information
Is this recipe supposed to contain nuts?
Not necessarily. The photograph doesn’t clearly require nuts. Walnuts are an optional addition, but they’re particularly good here because they provide crunch against the soft beetroot and creamy feta.
A comparable beet-cucumber-feta salad specifically lists ⅓ cup chopped walnuts as optional.
T
Two Cloves Kitchen
Best nuts
1. Walnuts — best overall
Earthy and slightly bitter; excellent with beetroot.
2. Pecans
Sweeter and more buttery.
3. Pistachios
Excellent for a more Middle Eastern/Mediterranean character.
4. Almonds
Use toasted sliced almonds for a lighter crunch.
Nut-free version
Simply leave the nuts out.
For crunch, substitute:
This seasons the beetroot internally rather than simply coating the outside.
6. Assemble
Add:
cucumber
red onion, if using
most of the dill
parsley, if using
walnuts, if using
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
crispy chickpeas
Pumpkin seeds are particularly good if you’re preparing the salad for someone with a tree-nut allergy.
Allergy warning
Feta is dairy, and walnuts/other nuts are potential allergens. If serving guests, don’t assume “nut-free” just because nuts aren’t visible—check the feta, dressing, toppings and any packaged ingredients for cross-contact information.
Easy substitutions
Ingredient Substitute
Red beet Golden beet
Feta Goat cheese
Feta Vegan feta
Dill Fresh mint
Walnuts Pistachios/pecans
Lemon Red-wine vinegar
Honey Maple syrup
Dijon Whole-grain mustard
Cucumber Radish
Red onion Shallot
Golden beets are particularly nice if you want a less intensely earthy flavor and less red staining.
S
skilledcooks
Q&A
Can I use boiled beets instead of roasted?
Yes. Boil until fork-tender, cool, peel and cut. Roasting gives deeper sweetness, but boiling is faster. Canned or vacuum-packed cooked beets can also be used for a very quick version.
T
Two Cloves Kitchen
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Can I make it ahead?
Yes, but ideally keep cucumber, feta and dressing separate until relatively close to serving.
The beet portion can be prepared ahead. Add cucumber and feta shortly before serving for better texture.
How long does it keep?
Store covered in the refrigerator. A similar prepared beet salad is recommended for approximately 3–4 days, although the cucumber will gradually become softer and the feta will take on beet color.
T
Two Cloves Kitchen
Can I make it vegan?
Yes. Omit feta or use a plant-based feta alternative. Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Is it gluten-free?
The basic ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but check packaged feta, mustard and other processed ingredients if you’re cooking for someone with celiac disease or a serious gluten allergy.
Is it a main meal?
It works beautifully as a side dish, but for a complete meal add:
chickpeas,
grilled chicken,
salmon,
quinoa, or
lentils.
Why does my salad turn completely pink?
That’s the beet juice. It’s completely normal. To preserve the dramatic colors in the photo, plate rather than aggressively toss, and add feta near the end.
What dressing works best?
I’d use the lemon-Dijon dressing above. For a darker, sweeter flavor, replace some of the lemon juice with balsamic vinegar. Balsamic is also commonly suggested as an alternative in beet salads.
S
sipthesoup.com
+1
How can I make it more like the photo?
Use large irregular chunks rather than tiny dice, thick cucumber pieces, generous crumbles of feta, lots of fresh dill, and a small amount of dressing at plating. Finish with olive oil and a few drops of balsamic reduction.
My recommended final version
For the closest balance to the pictured dish, I’d use:
500 g roasted beetroot + 400 g cucumber + 110 g feta + ¼ cup dill + ¼ cup toasted walnuts + 3 tbsp olive oil + 1½ tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp red-wine vinegar + 1 tsp Dijon + 1 tsp honey + garlic + black pepper.
That gives you the sweet/earthy beet + cool crisp cucumber + salty creamy feta + aromatic dill + nutty crunch + acidic dressing combination that makes this salad work so