Simple Roasted Beetroot

With its sweet earthy flavours, I adore beetroot. It’s incredibly good for you, as well as easily accessible in lots of varieties.

Here's my go-to recipe for roasted beetroot, which can be added to salads – my favourite way to eat it is paired with orange or shaved fennel and toasted nuts – but also tastes fantastic with a simple seasoning of fennel and lemon.

From this basic recipe, you can add it to your own favourite salads, dice it to scatter on top of my Beetroot & Walnut Tartlets, or purée into my Beetroot Pancake recipe, which is served with carrot lox. Delicious.

SERVES:
4

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

400-450g raw beetroots

2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the seasoning

2 tsp fennel seeds

Zest of ½ lemon

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp caster sugar

To serve

Fresh dill or fennel sprigs

Salad of choice

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan180°C/Gas 6.
Wash your beets and, while still wet, wrap them individually in foil, sealing tightly.
Place the pouches directly onto an oven shelf and roast for 30 mins to an hour. This can vary quite a bit, depending on the size of your individual beets, so check them regularly by skewering them with a sharp knife. When they're ready, it should glide in with ease.
While the beets are cooking, prepare your seasoning. Lightly toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan for a minute or two, until fragrant. Crush lightly in a pestle and mortar, or with the side of a heavy knife.
Combine the fennel seeds with the remaining seasoning ingredients, rubbing everything together with your fingers to combine.
Once the beets are cooked through, remove from the oven and allow them to cool a little in their foil parcels until they're just cool enough to handle.
Wearing food-safe rubber or latex gloves to prevent your hands from going purple, carefully remove the foil and pour any cooking juices into a bowl. Using your hands, gently rub the skins off the beets – they should just glide off – also removing any stalks and tough bits at the top.
Slice the beets into wedges and place in a bowl with the apple cider vinegar, salt and olive oil, and stir to combine. Place the beets on a serving platter and sprinkle with the seasoning, plus some fennel sprigs or dill. Serve with a crunchy salad on the side.