Summer has hit and it’s HOT here in Sydney. So I’m sharing one of my favourite recipes from my latest book I Quit Sugar: Simplicious: the Beet That Popstick Salad. Yep, a salad with popsicles. (Note, one of the Big Food companies – let’s call them Nestle – has the trademark to”popsicles” and sues everyone and their pet duck if they use it in a recipe title. Not kidding.) A great Christmas lunch stopper bound to impress family and friends. You’re welcome.
I should also point out, I designed this salad to use the whole beetroot – leaves, root and the juice from the water that the beets are cooked in.
Beet That Popstick Salad
- 3 red beetroots, trimmed, peeled and chopped into 2 cm chunks
- 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 yellow or other coloured beetroots (if you can’t find any, use 2 large carrots)
- 3 handfuls of baby beetroot leaves or rocket leaves
- 1/4 cup walnuts (preferably activated), roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- pinch of sea salt
Place the red beetroot in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil (with a lid on) and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through, but not mushy. Strain, reserving the precious bright-red beet water. Place 1 1/2 cups of the beet water in a blender with the raspberries and lemon juice and blitz until smooth. Pour into six ice-block moulds and place in the freezer to set for 6 hours.
Slice the yellow beets into super-thin rounds (with a mandoline if you have one) or peel the carrot into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler (or mandoline). If you’d like your beets a little crispier, pan-fry quickly in a little coconut oil. Place in a serving bowl with the cooled red beetroot chunks, leaves and walnuts. Toss gently with the vinegar, olive oil and salt.
To serve, remove the beet popsticks from the moulds by running them under hot water and place them on top of the salad.
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #simplicious when you share your version of this and other Simplicous recipes!
