BUTTERNUT & GOATS’ CHEESE SALAD

By Heleen Meyer @heleenmeyerfood

by Supplied Content

Goats’ milk cheese has a slightly sour flavour that balances the sweetness of the butternut perfectly. Enjoy this salad as a starter or light meal, or serve it as a side dish. The salad dressing can be used on any salad – make double and store it in the fridge.

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

For the salad dressing:

  • 100ml olive oil
  • 45ml balsamic vinegar
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 15ml honey
  • salt & black pepper

For the salad:

  • 500g butternut, peeled & cubed
  • 500g beetroot, peeled & cut into wedges
  • 150g mixed salad leaves (including rocket & small beetroot leaves)
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 100g goats’ cheese, crumbled (see tip)
  • 75ml dukkah

METHOD

  1. For the dressing: Mix all the ingredients and season to taste.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the butternut and beetroot on a baking tray and drizzle a third of the dressing over them. Roast for 30–40 minutes, or until tender.
  3. Arrange the salad leaves on a large platter or individual plates. Place the roasted butternut and beetroot on top, then sprinkle over the spring onions, goats’ cheese, and dukkah.
  4. Serve immediately with the remaining salad dressing. The salad is delicious when warm or at room temperature.

CHEF TIPS

  • Replace goats’ cheese with feta, pecorino, or ricotta.
  • Replace the dukkah with chopped nuts or a mixture of nuts and seeds (sesame and sunflower seeds work well).
  • To keep salad fresh on a hot summer’s day: crumple a piece of baking paper, dampen it under running water, squeeze out the excess moisture, and place it on top of the salad. The paper will dry out, but the salad will stay moist. Re-dampen if necessary.

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