RECIPE: Herby Beetroot & Spelt Salad from Macknade

It is totally plant-based but would also work with some feta or goats cheese crumbled in for extra protein. It looks particularly beautiful made with purple beetroot, but if you don’t want to mess around with something that will stain your fingers if you don’t wear gloves, it will taste just as good made with golden or candy striped varieties.

Ingredients

Available in store

• 200g spelt
• 8 medium or 6 large beetroot
• sea salt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• very large handful skinned almonds
• very large handful flat leaf parsley
• large handful fresh dill

Instructions

1. Cook the spelt as per the packet instructions, this usually takes just over an hour. When it is just tender, drain and set aside.

1. Meanwhile, scrub and trim the beetroot before cooking until you can easily get a fork through the middle in boiling, well-salted water. This usually takes 30-40 minutes, depending on the size and age of the beetroot; if you’re using large ones, cut them in half before boiling.

1. Once the beetroot are just cool enough to touch - wearing gloves if you don’t want to stain your fingers - gently rub off the skins, they should come away easily. Roughly chop the beetroot.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and pomegranate molasses, seasoning the dressing well with more salt. Toss the beetroot with the dressing, and set aside to marinate before you start prepping the rest of the ingredients; this marination time is key to getting well-seasoned beetroot!

1. Roughly chop the almonds, and each of the herbs.

1. Fold the beetroot and the remaining dressing from the bowl, plus the chopped almonds and herbs into the cooked spelt. Season to taste with salt before either serving, or packing away in the fridge for up to 5 days.