Buckwheat, Beetroot, Carrot and Spinach Salad
Buckwheat is high in protein, it’s also an excellent source of minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Because of its low glycemic index, buckwheat is digested and absorbed way slower. This is a good thing as blood sugar and insulin are increased slowly. Buckwheat also makes us feel full for longer.
Funnily enough, It’s not a cereal grain as many would think but it is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb, sorrel and knotweed. Who would have thought!!
Try out this delicious salad using seasonal produce. Try and get all your veg from local producers. I got mine at the farmers market still covered in the dirt from the ground they were pulled from and the flavour is so much better.
prep: 15 min
cooking: 40 min
Ingredients
- 400g buckwheat groats
- 800ml water
- 2-3 tsp salt
Salad
- 2 large beetroots
- 3 Large Carrots
- 100g baby spinach
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped finely, dried will do also if you don’t have fresh
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- black pepper
- Goats cheese crumbed
- 2-3 tbsp hazelnuts, chopped
- fresh parsley, to serve
Dressing
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
Method
- Heat up the oven to 180° C
- Wash your veg thoroughly in cold water.
- Peel beetroots and chop them into large dice.
- Peel carrots and roughly chop them lengthways
- Mix rosemary and sea salt together
- Place beetroot chunks and sliced carrots in a bowl
- Mix the dressing ingredients and coat veg using the majority of dressing (keep some behind for later) season with rosemary salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Tip onto a baking tray spreading evenly
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until tender.
- In a saucepan (covered with a lid), bring water, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1teaspoon fine salt to a boil over high heat.
- Stir in the buckwheat into boiled water and cover the saucepan with the lid. Bring back to a gentle simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed, 13-15 minutes. (Just like rice, you should hear hissing while it’s cooking and it will get quiet once done). Nonstick saucepans will take 2-3 minutes longer to cook buckwheat.
- Remove from heat and let the buckwheat rest covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. This serving will make about 3 cups of cooked buckwheat.
- To assemble, take veg out of the oven, while still in the baking tray stir through the spinach and allow it to wilt. Finally, add cooked buckwheat. Mix well and adjust the seasoning. I add the remainder of the dressing (olive oil, balsamic and honey)
- Pour into a serving bowl, when cool add chopped hazelnuts, goats cheese and some fresh parsley.
Delicious!
