Beetroot

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

Time for a recipe. I invented this salad on Saturday. I had a vague memory of reading something, somewhere, about beetroot with slivered almonds, so I cannot claim utter originality. They are lovely complements to each other, anyway.

This is a simple, elegant, fresh spring salad.

Take two cooked beetroots. I use the ready-cooked ones in the little vacuum packs, but if you are feeling strong, you can boil your own.

Dice them into small, delicate cubes. The smallness and delicacy is, I think, important. It's a texture thing. This is not a rough, rustic salad, but a light, refined thing.

Do the same with half a peeled cucumber. Again, the peeling and dicing is important.

Finely slice a few radishes.

Arrange, on a large white plate. Do not mix them about, or the beetroot will bleed, and you will be left with a purple mess. Take some feta cheese, as much as you want. I used about a quarter of a regular packet. Crumble it over the salad. Gently toast a handful of slivered almonds in a dry frying pan. Scatter them about the plate. Take four or five leaves of mint, slice very finely, and add these.

Dress with a pinch of sea salt, a squeeze of lemon, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. And that is it.

Now for pictures: