There’s no need to make a separate dressing for this dish, as the liquid left in the roasting tin is almost enough and is easily built on. Serve the lot warm, or leave everything to cool before folding in the watercress. I recommend adding a bit of vegan crème fraîche – there are some much better products on the market than there were a few years ago, but I’d recommend avoiding anything that tastes or smells strongly of coconut.
Scandi beetroot, potato and fennel salad
Print ThisIngredients
- 400g small summer beetroots
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 300g waxy new potatoes
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 100g radishes, cut into wedges and slices
- ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated horseradish
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegan crème fraîche
- 50g watercress, any coarse stalks removed
- Bunch of dill, any coarse stalks removed, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Dark rye bread, to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel the beetroots and cut them into wedges. Place them in a small roasting tin with the caraway, half the orange juice, the olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix well, cover with foil and roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until cooked through, then drain. When they are cool enough to handle, slice them into thick discs.
When the beets are ready, add the potatoes, fennel, radishes and onion to the pan, along with the horseradish and vinegar. Mix well and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Just before serving, fold in the crème fraîche (if using) and watercress. Taste and add a little more orange juice, if you think it needs it.
Pile on to plates and garnish with the dill and sprinkle of orange zest. Serve with slices of rye bread on the side.
Taken from Dirty Vegan Another Bite by Matt Pritchard, published by Mitchell Beazley, priced at £20
