Roasted Beetroot Salad With Chilli Chocolate Vinaigrette Recipe
Beetroot and chocolate is a surprisingly good combination that often makes its way into sweet dishes (think beetroot and chocolate brownies). The chocolate in this salad dressing shows how it works in a savoury setting too, balancing out the earthiness of the beetroot, the peppery rocket and bitter chicory.
Ingredients
- 4 large beetroots, ideally mixed colours, washed
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 handful of chicory leaves
- 1 handful of rocket
- olive oil, for dressing
- balsamic vinegar, for dressing
- 150g of walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp of dark chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp of honey
- 1 pinch of chilli flakes
- 300g of soft goat's cheese
- 1/2 bunch of chives
- 1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 bunch of basil
- 1 garlic clove
- 20ml of olive oil
- 20ml of double cream
Method · 1 h
- Preheat the oven to 190°C. Drizzle the beetroots in oil and season with salt. Individually wrap them in foil and roast in the oven for around 45 minutes, until fork tender, then unwrap and allow to cool
- Peel off the beet skins, slice into wedges and set aside
- For the chocolate vinaigrette, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly, then stir through the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside
- For the whipped herb goat’s cheese, blitz all of the ingredients to a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside
- To serve, whisk together a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss with the beetroots, chicory and rocket
- Spread the whipped goat’s cheese into 2 bowls. Top with the dressed beetroot, chicory and rocket and sprinkle over the walnuts. Finish with the chocolate vinaigrette
