Vegan Beetroot Orange Walnut Salad

Equipment

• ✓ Roasting tray
• ✓ Small frying pan
• ✓ Mixing bowl
• ✓ Whisk

Ingredients

• 600 g beetroot
• 3 oranges
• 90 g walnuts
• 100 g rocket or baby leaves
• 70 g red onion, thinly sliced
• 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 20 ml balsamic vinegar
• 15 ml orange juice
• 10 g Dijon mustard
• 8 g maple syrup
• 7 g fine salt
• 3 g black pepper

Easy Step-by-Step Method

Complete one numbered step before moving to the next. Keep the heat and timing exactly as written.

Chef Notes & Tips

Dress beetroot separately before adding leaves so the whole salad does not immediately turn one colour. If starting with cooked beetroot, omit its roasting stage and use the shorter assembly time.

Ingredient choices: Choose similarly sized beetroot for even cooking and peel after cooling as directed. Remove orange pith and seeds. Toast walnuts carefully and cool them before adding to the leaves.

Cooking control: Cook beetroot until a knife enters easily, then cool appropriately before slicing. Prepare oranges over a bowl to catch juice for the dressing. Dress beetroot separately when possible, adding leaves and walnuts close to serving.

If something goes wrong: Pink-stained leaves are a presentation effect of beetroot juices, not spoilage; separate assembly controls it. Bitter citrus often comes from pith. Soft walnuts may have been added too early to wet dressing.

Ingredient Substitutions

• ↔ Walnuts → toasted hazelnuts
• ↔ Rocket → baby spinach
• ↔ Balsamic vinegar → red wine vinegar plus extra maple

Food Safety & Doneness

Wash produce and use clean utensils. Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated. Refrigerate cooked food in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the surroundings exceed 32°C.

Serving & Plating

Arrange beetroot and orange over the leaves, then scatter walnuts. Add only enough dressing to coat the plate’s components.

Storage

Keep prepared components covered at 4°C or below. Use within 2 days, or sooner if a package use-by date requires it. Store dressing separately where possible; do not leave perishable salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours.