Beetroot , Feta and Almond Salad ...

To me salads need to have fresh and tasty components that are colourful and comforting too, but more importantly not over 'mayonnaised'. I find here in South Africa that every braai has potato salad 'dripping in mayo' , coleslaw 'dripping in mayo', pasta salad 'dripping in mayo' which just wreaks havoc with my low carb living.

I therefore inevitably arrive with the healthy salad and this is a favourite ...

Preparation & Cooking time : 1hr cooking & 15 minutes preparation
Serves : 2

Difficulty : 2/10

You will need:
For the salad :
500gr baby spinach leaves
4 x medium fresh beetroot
1/4 large english cucumber
200gr Danish Feta
a handful of raw almonds

For the dressing :
50ml Avocado oil
50ml Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch crushed black pepper

Method:
For the salad:
- Boil the beetroot for 1 hr on the stove or until soft but firm when pierced with a knife
- leave beetroot to cool for an hour in the fridge
- slide your finger over the beetroot in a pulling motion and the outer layer will now peel off , do this to all the beetroot until completely clean and shiny.
(I do this under running water to prevent my hands from being stained , you can also use latex gloves from the drugstore/pharmacy)
- cut beetroot into wedges
 - cut cucumber into slivers
- rinse baby spinach and leave to drip off excess moisture
- cut feta into cubes and set aside

Place all the ingredients except the nuts and feta into a salad bowl and toss together
For the Dressing :
Place all the ingredients into a jug and blitz with a stick blender for 2 minutes , pour into a jug and serve alongside the salad.
Plate the salad in a serving bowl , sprinkle over the feta and almonds and cover with a generous amount of dressing.

Et Voila!

I just love this luscious salad with the bold sweetness from the beetroot , the salty contrast from the feta which is rounded off with a slightly zingy dressing ...it's yum!

** cooks note - 
You can also use walnuts which are lovely crunchy and buttery in flavour.