Roasted Beetroot and Walnut Salad
Sweet roasted beetroot against toasted walnuts and peppery greens, in a sharp balsamic dressing. Roasting whole and peeling after is what keeps the colour and flavour in.
By Vegan Cook. Published 5 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 2.
- 3medium beetroot, scrubbed, leaves trimmed
- 1/2 cupwalnut halves
- 3 cupspeppery baby greens (rocket or watercress)
- 2 tbspbalsamic vinegar
- 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tspmaple syrup
- 1/2 tspDijon mustard
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper
Cookware
- Baking tray
- Foil
- Dry frying pan
- Bowl
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Roast whole
Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Rub the whole beetroot with 1 tbsp of the oil, wrap each in foil, and roast on a tray for 45-60 minutes until a knife slides in with no resistance. Roasting them whole and unpeeled keeps the earthy sweetness and colour locked in rather than bleeding out.
- 02
Peel while warm
Once cool enough to handle, the skins rub off easily with a paper towel — do this over the sink, it stains. Cut into wedges.
- 03
Toast the walnuts
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, tossing, until fragrant and lightly coloured. This wakes up their flavour and adds crunch. Roughly chop.
- 04
Make the dressing
Whisk the balsamic, remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon, salt and pepper into an emulsion.
- 05
Assemble
Toss the greens with half the dressing and spread on a platter. Top with the beetroot wedges, scatter over the walnuts, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Dress the beetroot separately if you want to keep the greens from turning pink.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Contains walnuts (tree nuts). Swap for toasted pumpkin seeds to make it nut-free.