© David Loftus
raw beet salad
method
The other day I had a nice little roast in the oven – comfort food for a great Sunday afternoon. I
had a bunch of raw beets to use up, so I thought it would be good to have something nice and zingy to munch on while I was waiting for the chicken to cook – like some tapas or antipasti to get my tastebuds going. You can get some great beets these days – fantastic colors.
I took the leaves off the beets and threw them away, as I didn’t need them for this salad (although it’s worth remembering that they’re edible and that they taste nicer than Swiss chard or spinach!). I washed the beets and then, using a speed peeler, I peeled them all down into really thin slices and flavored them with salt, pepper, chopped flat-leaf parsley and a little grated fresh horseradish
to give a nice bit of heat. Then I left them for 5–10 minutes so that the acid from the horseradish would soften the beets. The horseradish is optional, but it gives a good twang.
This salad is lovely on a bit of toast, with maybe a splash feta cheese. Really nice to pick at before you have dinner.