Beetroot Carpaccio with goat's cheese and candied walnuts {Gluten-free + Jain}

I have avoided eating beetroot for as long as I can remember. A few months go, my mother offered me a par-boiled beetroot dressed in salt and lemon juice. It tasted great and I realized beetroot isn't that bad after all. Beetroot has a beautiful deep pink color and it very conveniently stains clothes, hands and utensils which I think is manageable. 

Beetroot belongs to the family of spinach and both leaves and sweet round part of beetroot can be eaten. Do not throw away beetroot leaves rather use them as salad greens.

Beetroot is gaining immense popularity among modern chefs and foodies . Roast it, blend it, drink it, pickle it - beetroot is a super-food which is full of vitamins, minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants. It lowers blood pressure which is beneficial for preventing heart disease and stroke. Those of you who have iron deficiency, eating beetroot is an excellent way to improve hemoglobin.

My Beetroot Carpaccio is simple but  flavorful. Carpaccio means slicing fruits and vegetables as thin as possible. This salad is a fancier and tastier version of the way I consume beets everyday. Earthy beetroot paired with soft goat's cheese and candied walnuts becomes a winner as soon as you taste it.

Ingredients

Beetroot - 1
Goat's cheese/ feta cheese 
Walnuts - 1/4th cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup
Extra virgin olive oil- 2 Tbsp

White wine vinegar - 1 Tbsp
Salt to taste

Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Method

Par boil whole beetroot with skin on ( Let pressure cooker do its job for 10-15 minutes on medium heat, beetroot is rather difficult to cook.)

Add sugar in a medium size sauce pan. Cook stirring with spatula occasionally till sugar has melted.

Add walnuts in this caramel. Immediately take out with fork and spread on parchment paper or butter paper. Set aside to cool and set.

Take skin off beets, very thinly slice and arrange on a plate. Add feta and candied walnuts over it.

Add olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper powder in a jam jar and give a good shake.

Pour dressing over the salad and serve.

Love

Nishu

Looking for more recipes of salads?? Try these

Pear and Apple salad in spicy honey-lime dressing

Carrot salad- South Indian style

Watermelon and feta cheese salad

Som Tam -Thai salad