Beetroot and Mint Salad
Ingredients
- 4 tsp fine sugar
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 cooked beetroots, a mix of colours if you prefer, finely sliced into rounds
- A small bunch of mint leaves
- Sea salt flakes
Preparation
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil with a generous pinch of salt and whisk lightly with a fork.
- Throw the sliced beetroot into any old bowl; I usually let the salad marinate in a mixing bowl for a few hours, then transfer it to its serving dish after, as the crimson juices can stain.
- Roughly chop half the mint leaves, throw them in with the beetroots and pour the dressing over.
- Sit in the fridge – or in a cool spot – for an hour or so, to help intensify the flavors.
- To serve, drain off some of the excess marinade, arrange the beetroot slices on a serving plate and scatter over the last of the mint leaves.
The summers here are HOT, HOT, HOT. We, like most people here do not have air conditioning and it really gets uncomfortable. Because of this in the summer I try to use my oven as little as possible and do most of my cooking either outside or serve cold dishes. I recently bought author Skye McAlpine’s new book A Table for Friends and it has quickly become my summer Holy Grail. It is filled with delicious cold dishes mixing her English/Italian upbringing. She uses simple, fresh ingredients to create stunning dishes and tablescapes. This beetroot and mint salad quickly became a favorite. Sweet, tangy and cooling. Its the perfect addition to any summer table and would be great to bring to a BBQ.
*** These beets are already cooked and cooled. You can buy them from most grocery stores like that but if you cant find them you can roast, peel and cool your own for this recipe!