Beetroot, Apple and Watercress Salad

Here is a healthy satisfying salad to liven up the cooler months. Autumn and winter offer great opportunities to use bright colourful vegetables like beetroot. This recipe uses some of our favourite local produce – sweet beetroot, crisp apple and peppery watercress – to give a big vitamin-laden treat. The fresh winter herbs add variety of flavour as well as a dose of antioxidants and the horseradish dressing brings the whole thing together with a fiery cleansing tang.

Beetroot, Apple and Watercress Salad with Horseradish Dressing

Dietary: Vegan, Gluten Free

Ingredients:

For the salad

• 4 fresh medium beetroots
• 2 apples (English cox’s stored over winter are the best)
• A small handful of almonds
• 2 tbsps chopped parsley and mint leaves
• 100g watercress

For the dressing

• 1 tbsps cider vinegar
• 2 tbsps rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsps low fat natural yoghurt
• 2 tbsps creamed horseradish
• A pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Wrap the beetroots in a tin foil parcel and bake at 180C for 1 hour. Check that they are completely soft before removing - the larger the beetroot is the longer it will take to cook. Put them back in the oven for 15 minutes at a time until they are soft through. Leave the beetroot to cool before rubbing off the skins and cutting them into bite sized wedges.
2. Toast the almonds in the oven for 5-8 minutes, and chop the apples into wedges.
3. For the dressing, put all the ingredients together into a bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Wash the herbs and chop roughly. Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl.
5. Generously spoon the dressing over the top and serve.