Raw beetroot salad

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 beetroot 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 beetroots these days – fantastic colours.

Nutritional Information (amount per serving)

Calories
186kcal

Carbs
27.4g

Sugar
8.2g

Fat
3.1g

Saturates
1.2g

Protein
7.3g

Serves 6

Ingredients

beetroots
salt
pepper
flat-leaf parsley
fresh horseradish

Method

I took the leaves off the beetroots 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 beetroots and then, using a speed peeler, I peeled them all down into really thin slices and flavoured 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 to 10 minutes so that the acid from the horseradish would soften the beetroot. The horseradish is optional, but it gives a good twang.

This salad is lovely on a bit of toast, with maybe a splash of vodka or a little block of crumbled feta cheese. Really nice to pick at before you have dinner.