Salads
Rhubarb, beetroot & carrot salad
The sharp sweetness of the rhubarb is the perfect balance to earthy flavoured roots, and the cooking liquid makes a punchy dressing.
Cook's notes
The trick to keeping the shape of the rhubarb, and avoiding a stewed mush, is to cook it gently and then remove it from the heat just before it is tender, letting the declining heat of the pan finish it to perfection.
Ingredients
- 300g bunched beetroots
- 300g bunched carrots
- salt & pepper
- 175g rhubarb
- 1 orange
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 50g watercress
- small bunch of mint, finely chopped
- 1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly toasted
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200˚C/Gas 6. Remove the leafy tops from the beets and give them a good wash and scrub to remove any dirt. Do the same with the carrots.
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Step 2
Place the beets in the saucepan, cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until soft to the tip of a knife.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, cut the carrots into evenly sized angular pieces. Place them on the roasting tray, coat with oil and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well and roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender and starting to colour.
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Step 4
While the carrots and beets cook, cut the rhubarb into 3cm pieces. Split any wide pieces in half, lengthways, so that all the pieces are a roughly even size. Zest and juice the orange into a large saucepan, and add the sugar and rhubarb. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 5-6 minutes, until the rhubarb is starting to soften but still holds its shape. Remove from the heat and leave it to cool with the lid on.
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Step 5
When the beets are ready, remove them from the water and thumb the skins away. Cut into even-sized wedges.
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Step 6
Let the carrots and beets cool a little while you make the dressing. Whisk 3 tablespoons of the rhubarb liquid with a pinch of salt, and slowly add 2 tablespoons of olive oil so that it comes together into a dressing. Tweak by adding a dash or two of the vinegar if you feel it needs more sharpness.
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Step 7
Mix the beets, carrots and watercress together with the dressing. Transfer to a serving plate and then gently place the rhubarb pieces across the top. Scatter over the mint and caraway seeds to finish.