Antioxidant-Rich, Roasted Beetroot, Pomegranate & Walnut Salad

Serves 2 People

Ingredients

• 400g Beetroot
• 3 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil
• 1/2 Pomegranate
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 50g Walnuts
• 100g Feta Cheese; cubed or broken into pieces
• Bag of mixed Salad Leaves
• 1 Sweet Potato

For the dressing

• Juice of half ruby Grapefruit
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tsp Honey or Maple Syrup
• Rock Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Method

• Preheat Oven at 200c (fan)
• Place the oil in a large roasting tin and start to heat in the oven.
• Top and tail the Beetroot and cut into quarters ( or eighths if beetroot are particularly large).
• Peel the Sweet Potato and cut into good size wedges
• Pop the Beetroot, Sweet Potato and Garlic cloves (still in their skin) into your roasting tray and roast for 45 minutes
• Toast the Walnuts in a griddle or flat based pan for about 5 minutes until they are crispy brown. Be careful, as these can burn quickly. Once these are done, break them down in a pestle and mortar into smaller pieces .
• Bash the sides of a whole Pomegranate all the way round to loosen the seeds before cutting in half and removing them. Remove the seeds and then put these to one side.
• Prepare the dressing by mixing the juice of one Grapefruit, extra virgin olive oil, honey (or maple syrup) and salt and pepper into a small jug.
• Remove the roasties from the oven. Bash the Garlic cloves in a pestle & mortar together with a little oil from the roasting tin.
• Mix the toasted Walnuts with the crushed garlic.
• Place a handful of salad leaves onto 2 plates. Bring the salad together by sharing out the Beetroot, sprinkle over the Walnuts combined with the crushed Garlic cloves, Pomegranate seeds and lastly the Feta cheese.
• Dress liberally with the Grapefruit dressing and serve with a side portion of the Sweet Potato wedges.

Healthy tip

Not only is this whole food salad incredibly nourishing and delicious, the array of colours on this plate gives you an idea just how nutritious this meal really is.

Pomegranate is considered a super-food and has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The seeds are abundant in antioxidants and polyphenols which help fight off damage to our cells. They are a good source of fibre and rich in Vitamin A, C & E. Don’t forget that Vitamin C & E work in synergy helping to combat the damage caused by free radicals in the body. They are considered to be two of the most important antioxidants for cell repair. These ruby-red seeds really compliment the taste of the roasted Beetroot, too. Beetroot, as you probably already know, is one of my favourite vegetables. It is rich in Iron and Folate; high in Vitamin C and other antioxidants all of which help towards maintaining healthy blood pressure, hormone balance and a healthy immune system.

The toasted Walnuts add a fantastic crunch to this salad providing the much-needed healthy fix of Omega 3’s that oil the workings of a healthy mind (amongst others). Walnuts are also high in minerals, protein and fibre which is essential for a happy gut too. They are low on the glycemic scale helping to regulate our blood glucose and prevent any cravings. The sweet potatoes inject a lovely and satisfying sweet texture to the mix and are loaded with beta carotene helping to keep our eyes, skin and mucous membranes healthy.

The Grapefruit dressing is another delicious complement to this dish and is extremely high in Vitamin C; as is all citrus fruit. The Extra Virgin Olive oil, also high in antioxidants and abundant in healthy fats increases the nutrient density of this vibrant dish and together with the green salad, provides extra Vitamin C, fibre and other phyto-nutrients.

Delicious and nourishing on so many levels, you can’t really go wrong with this totally balanced, nutrient-dense meal which scores highly on the ANDI scale (Aggregate Nutrient Dense Index).

For a vegan salad, omit the feta cheese!

Author: clairekinghealthandnutritioncoach

Welcome! My name is Claire and I am a proud mum, Complementary Healthcare Therapist, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and passionate lover of food and nutrition. View all posts by clairekinghealthandnutritioncoach