A Beet Salad Recipe that is the perfect crowd pleaser! Made with vegan ricotta, lentils & arugula, this vegan beetroot salad recipe is a real winner!
Why a Beet Salad Recipe?
This vegan beetroot salad recipe is the perfect salad to take over to friends house, or to have at a dinner party. It truly is a crowd pleaser. I have never met anyone who doesn't speak highly of this salad (seriously!)
Another awesome thing about this salad is that its vegan! But, you wouldn't know unless I told you! The vegan ricotta blends perfectly with the salad ingredients. You wouldn't even know its not real dairy ricotta.
Do I really need to soak the dates & almonds?
Yes! Don't skip this step. Although a small addition to the salad, the impact is large! If you are short on time and don't have more than an hour to soak the dates & almonds, you can just soak them for as long as you can. Any time is better than none at all.
To get the best results, I recommend you soak the dates and almonds the night before. This ensures the dates are plump and juicy. Seriously tasty!
How to keep the salad fresh?
Add all of the fresh salad ingredients to the bowl first (rocket, baby spinach, red onion). Add the ricotta, lentils, dates, and almonds, but DON't mix the salad through just yet. Mix all ingredients and only add your salad dressing only right before serving.
Why not try this salad as part of a meal plan?
I love to make this salad for my weekday lunch at work. I make exactly the quantities listed in this recipe, and divide it equally between 4 bowls. This means that each salad has the following macros & calories:
- Calories 545
- Protein 22.5 grams
- Carbs 71 grams
- Fat 24 grams
Can I use store bought vegan ricotta?
Absolutely yes! If you aren't vegan then go ahead and use dairy ricotta. Or if you are lucky enough to be able to buy vegan ricotta at your supermarket then why not?
If you are like me and would prefer to make the vegan ricotta, then follow the recipe steps below or check out my blog article here. Here you can read more about my vegan ricotta as well as any substitutes.
How to cook the beetroot?
I prefer to use the vacuum sealed beets that have already been cooked! This is just 1 step less that I have to do. If you aren't making your own ricotta, or you can only buy raw beetroot, then check out this website here on how to cook beetroot. For this recipe, I recommend that you boil them.
Beet Salad With Vegan Ricotta, Lentils & Arugula
Ingredients
- 10-12 baby beets (about 750 grams) use vacuum sealed beets, or cook your own
- 1 can brown lentils, rinsed well about 300 grams cooked lentils
- 150 grams fresh arugula (rocket)
- 50 grams fresh baby spinach
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- 6 Medjool dates pitted
- ¼ cup almonds (raw or roasted)
Vegan Ricotta (makes 1-1.5 cup of ricotta)
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 200 grams firm tofu
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 4 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk or any other plant milk
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt I use pink Himalayan
Salad Dressing
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil optional
Instructions
- Remove pits from Medjool dates and cut into small pieces
- In a small bowl, add almonds, finely sliced medjool dates, and balsamic vinegar. Ensure the almonds and dates are completly submerged in the vinegar. Soak almonds and vinegar for at least 1 hr in the fridge
- Make your vegan ricotta, or use a store bought ricotta of your choice. Set aside
- Cook your beets as required, or use canned / vacuum sealed beets. Slice each beetroot into about 6 pieces
- Wash arugula and spinach leaves and add to a large bowl
- Finely chop the red onion and add to salad bowl
- Rinse canned lentils and add to salad bowl
- Remove soaked almonds & Medjool dates for the balsamic vinegar and add to the salad bowl. Pour left over balsamic vinegar into a a small jar with crush garlic. Save this for a salad dressing to use later
- Add all ingredients to the bowl, including the ricotta. Stir ricotta through right before serving
Salad Dressing (optional)
- Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves to a small salad jar
- Add leftover balsamic vinegar to the jar, add desired amount to salad right before serving. You may also choose to add 1-3 tablespoon of olive oil
Vegan Ricotta
- Soak 1 cup of cashews over night, or soak in boiling water for 15 minutes
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth
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