Raw Beetroot Salad with Beet Greens and Tumeric Roasted Nuts

We are in the middle of a super hot summer down here in the Southern Hemisphere and I’ve caught myself the flu. Yes, the flu. In the middle of summer. Of all the rotten luck 🤦🏻‍♀️.

At least it's a good excuse to share my super flu fighting salad recipe that's packed with vitamins and immune boosting antioxidants 💪🏼 .


Let me count the ways:

• Lemon and orange juices in the dressing for vitamin C.

• Manuka Honey, a veritable superfood with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions and antioxidants.

• Raw beetroot which is packed with betalains, an immune boosting antioxidant.

• Loads of garlic, which is helps fight off colds and flu.

• Tumeric which contains the anti-inflammatory compound curcumin.

• Popeye was on to a good thing, spinach is a good source of iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E, B vitamins and folate.

• Kale is also high in antioxidants and vitamin C.

With an ingredients list like that, how could this not be good for you? And the best part is that it is also super delicious. Goodness all round.

I was also super excited to include beet greens in this salad. You don’t see the leaves still attached on beetroot very often but my darling mother bought some gorgeous beets for me from a vege market in South Auckland which were super fresh and had the beet greens still attached. They are actually rather beautiful - bright green leaves laced with magenta. It might be hard to find beets with the beet greens still attached at your supermarket, try your local vege market or specialty green grocers/vegetable store. Or substitute an extra cup of salad greens.

You’ll notice that the recipe calls for the skin to be left on the beets and carrots - many of the main nutrient and goodies are just under the skin so leaving the skin on helps maximise the health benefits, choice .

Raw beetroot salad with beet greens and tumeric roasted nuts

Tumeric roasted nuts
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon Olive oil


1. Preheat oven to 180oC.
2. Put nuts and spices and oil in a bowl and mix well. Spread out to one layer on a baking tray.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden, giving them a mix at half time.
4. Allow to cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container when completely cooled.


Salad
3 large beetroot, scrubbed, skin on, with beet green leaves attached*
3 large carrots, scrubbed skin on, grated
4 cups baby spinach and baby kale, washed
Big handful fresh mint leaves, roughly torn up


Dressing
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Juice and zest of 1/2 an orange
1 Tablespoon Manuka honey
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper


1. Dressing: put all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to mix.
2. Cut the leaves off the beetroot, wash and tear the beet greens into little pieces. Leaving the skin on the beets, cut them up into quarters and grate.
3. Mix together all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Just before serving, toss dressing and 1 cup of tumeric roasted nuts with the salad greens. Sprinkle extra nuts on top.


*Note: It might be hard to find beets with the leaves still attached, try your local vege market or vege store rather than the supermarket. Or substitute an extra handful of salad greens.