Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Salad with an Orange and Balsamic Dressing
Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Salad with an Orange and Balsamic Dressing is deliciously satisfying. You won’t find a boring salad at The Delectable Garden!
With spring around the corner The Delectable Garden has started to come out of hibernation. I’m really excited about adding my own touch to the beautiful, mature garden this year. There are already plums, cherries, jostaberries, raspberries, rhubarb and redcurrants planted, but want to grow more. I have started to think about a veg plot and the produce I want to grow. Beetroot sprung to mind as it’s really easy to grow and doesn’t take up much space. It was also one of the few things I managed to successfully grow in my old garden- I told you I don’t have green fingers! Planning the garden inspired me to create this Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Salad.
Starting back at the gym again this week also gave me a nudge to create a quick substantial lunch. I’m always thinking about food and my next meal, this seems to increase when I’ve been to the gym. I’m no fitness fanatic, I managed to dodge excise for 30 years of my life. Now comfortably in my 30’s I realise I can’t continue to eat like it did in my 20’s without any consequences! I also need to increase my stamina for our upcoming snowboarding holiday to Norway, especially if I want to keep up with everyone else.
A friend told me about a website that calculates the nutritional value of food so I thought I’d try it out on this recipe. I tend to call something healthy if it’s home cooked and provides your body with something it needs, such as good fats, protein, fibre, vitamins or minerals. One thing that stood out from this exercise was how high in fat this salad is. It’s not surprising as it has extra virgin olive oil, goat’s cheese and walnuts. Olive oil and walnuts are so-called good fats that the body needs to stay healthy. Goat’s cheese provides protein, vitamins, minerals and is lower in fat compared to cheddar, so overal is still important when eaten in moderation. This is one of your three meals a day so the fact it contains a third of your daily intake of fat isn’t such a bad thing.
*The nutritional values were calculated from the ingredients I used.
Serves 2
Contents
Orange and Balsamic Dressing
Juice from quarter of an orange
20 ml Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp English mustard
Method
Whisk all ingredients together and save to one side.
Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Salad
80g Cooked Buckwheat (allow to cool before using)
50g Spinach leaves, roughly chopped
4 Spring onions, topped and tailed and finely chopped
30g Walnuts, roughly chopped
2 Large cooked beetroot, chopped into quarters
60g Soft goat’s cheese, crumbled into pieces
method
1. Toss the buckwheat, spinach, spring onions, walnuts and beetroot with half of the orange and balsamic salad dressing.
2. Season the salad and gently mix through the goat’s cheese.
3. Drizzle the with remaining dressing and serve.
Looking for more tasty lunches? Try my Zesty Summer Green Salad
If you’ve made any of my recipes I’d love to hear from you and see your photos. Comment below or contact me via social media.
