Forget salad as a side! This delicious blood orange and beetroot salad will be the star of your lunch or dinner. Tart and zingy, the blood oranges add a raspberry like flavour and contrast beautifully with the crumbled feta, beetroot and caramelized walnuts. This dish is the absolute epitome of spring eating!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Blood oranges (slices skin removed)

• 4 small or medium Beetroot (washed)

• 1/4 cup Feta

• 2 cups mixed salad greens  (radicchio, watercress, baby beetroot leaves or spinach)

• 1 tbsp dill (chopped finally)

• 1/3 cup walnuts

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

For the dressing:

• Juice of 1 blood orange

• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1tsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp dill (chopped finally)

• Pinch salt

METHOD

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180° degrees.

2. In a small mixing bowl add the walnuts and maple syrup, stir to combine. Spread out on to a small baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven, stir the walnuts through the sticky caramel before it sets. Set aside to cool down then roughly chop.

3. Add the beetroot whole with the skin left on to a steamer, steam for 10 - 15 minutes or until they become soft when pricked with a fork. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely before peeling. Slice the small beetroots in half and larger ones in too quarters.

4. While the beetroot is cooling combine all the dressing ingredients together in a small jar. Place the lid on and shake well to combine.

5. In a large bowl combine the salad greens, chopped dill, cooled down beetroot and sliced up blood orange, pour over the dressing and gently toss.

6. Serve on a large plate with the feta crumbled over the top and the roughly chopped caramel walnuts.

Prep time: 15-20minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Recipe and photography by Bonnie Coumbe. See her site here & Instagram here.