Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Ancient Grains Salad
This roasted beet & blood orange ancient grains salad with feta and pecans will convert anyone into a beet lover. Served over garlicky Einkorn, it’s the ultimate winter grain bowl or holiday side.
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Not a fan of beets?
Think again! This roasted beet and blood orange ancient grains salad is here to challenge everything you thought you knew. Packed with bold flavors and textures, it’s the perfect introduction to a vegetable you didn’t know you could adore!
And it’s all served over nutty, garlicky einkorn, one of the oldest cultivated grains, for a hearty, satisfying base.
Beets often get a bad rap, but when roasted, they transform into sweet, deliciously complex gems. Forget the sad vacuum-sealed packs — roasting brings out their natural sweetness and softens their earthiness. You’ll never want to eat them any other way again, pinkie promise!
And just when you think it can’t get any better, we add the bright flavor of blood oranges, the salty creaminess of feta and the satisfying crunch of toasted pecans for a flavor-packed salad you’ll adore!
Why you’ll love this Ancient Grains Salad Recipe
Versatility: This Salad works well as a side dish, light lunch or grain bowl — it’s wonderful served on a bed of cooked nutty Einkorn.
Quick and Easy: Roasted beets can be prepped and stored in the fridge for up to two days, making the salad assembly a breeze.
Keeps well: Since all ingredients are sturdy enough, leftovers keep well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. No danger of wilted anything! The beets will give everything a nice pink hue the longer they’re kept in the fridge.
Easy to prepare in advance: This salad is a great make ahead situation! Keep the toasted pecans and crumbled feta separate until you’re ready to serve. That way the nuts will keep their crunch and the feta won’t be stained pink.
Ingredients
Einkorn: I love the nutty taste and texture of Einkorn but you could also use Spelt, or millet for a gluten-free version.
Beets: I love regular beets here because they have the most complex flavor after roasting. The bold flavor sets off the sweetness of the blood oranges best. You could also use golden beets or chioggia beets (also known as candy stripe beets).
Blood Oranges: Glorious red speckled oranges with the most candy like sweetness. If it’s not blood orange season, try to get the sweetest oranges available at that time.
Pecan Nuts: Roasted Pecans add an umami packed crunch to this salad! Walnuts or even pine nuts work wonderfully as well.
Shallots: Shallots are onion’s milder cousins and add that subtle sharpness. Red onion will work in a pinch.
Feta: Salty, creamy feta complements the citrus acidity perfectly. I’m partial to goat’s and sheep’s milk feta but you can use whatever you like best. This recipe is easily veganized by using any vegan feta you like!
Tools You May Need
Air Fryer (optional): The easiest way to roast beets.
Kitchen Gloves (optional): If you’re worried about staining your fingers — I don’t find it much of a problem with roasted beets though.
Large Bowl, Cutting Board & Sharp Knife
How to Make Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Salad with Garlicky Einkorn
01
Roast the Beets
Scrub your beets if they need it. You don’t need to peel them, just rub with a small amount of olive oil and wrap them well in aluminum foil. There’s no need to wrap each beet individually. Roast them at 200°C (400°F) for 50-70 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature. After that they peel really easily.
02
Cook the Einkorn
In a small pot, combine the whole Einkorn berries, crushed garlic, and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until al dente. Drain if necessary, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
03
Toast the Pecans
Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a dry skillet. Once they’re nicely browned and toasty, transfer the nuts to a small bowl to cool down quickly and prevent burning. Let them cool, then chop roughly.
04
Assemble the Salad
Chop the beets into small, bite-sized pieces. Peel and segment the blood oranges. Cut them into similar sized pieces. Finely chop the shallots and parsley. Toss well with the dressing ingredients and let sit for a few minutes to soften the sharpness of the onions. When you’re ready to serve, crumble the feta and roughly chop the toasted pecans. Toss again carefully.
Tips
- You can wear gloves to keep your fingers from staining pink but I’ve never had any problems. I find the olive oil makes the color stains less permanent.
- You can roast the beets in the oven but I prefer to use my instant pot with the air fryer lid. It literally preheats in a minute and uses a lot less electricity.
How to Serve Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Einkorn Salad
Serve the roasted beet salad on its own, or with a slice of toasted sourdough bread spread with salted butter.
Ancient Grain Bowl:
For a heartier option, serve the salad at room temperature on a bed of warm einkorn grains.
Ancient Grains Salad:
Once the einkorn and roasted beet salad have fully cooled, toss everything together for a wholesome ancient grains salad. Perfect as a light lunch or as a side dish alongside fried chicken or any other light protein of your choice.
How to Store
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3–4 days, making this salad ideal for healthy winter meal prep.
If serving as an ancient grains salad: Toss everything together so it’s ready to serve straight from the fridge.
If serving as a grain bowl: Store the salad and cooked grains separately.
If you make this Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Einkorn Salad…
I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Einkorn Salad
Equipment
- cutting board and sharp knife
- air fryer - (optional)
- kitchen gloves - (optional)
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 4 medium beets
- ¼ cup shallots - finely chopped
- ½ cup pecan nuts - roughly chopped, 55g
- 2 blood oranges
- ½ cup feta cheese - crumbled, 85g
- ½ cup chopped parsley
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- pepper - freshly ground
Einkorn
- 1 cups whole Einkorn berries
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 small clove garlic
Instructions
Roast Beets
- Scrub your beets if needed. Rub them with a small amount of olive oil and wrap them well in aluminum foil. Roast the beets at 200°C (400°F) for 50-70 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature. After that, they peel really easily.
Cook Einkorn
- In a small pot, combine the whole Einkorn berries, crushed garlic, and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until al dente. Drain if necessary, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
Toast Pecans
- Toast your pecans in a dry skillet over medium low heat. Shake them about a couple times to ensure even browning. Once they're nicely browned and toasty, transfer the nuts to a small bowl to cool down quickly and prevent burning. Let them cool down completely.
Make the Dressing & Toss the Salad
- Finely chop the shallots and parsley and toss everything together with the dressing ingredients. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften the sharpness of the onions.
- Chop the beets into small, bite sized pieces. Peel and segment the blood oranges. and cut them into similar sized pieces. Finely chop the parsley, crumble the feta and roughly chop the toasted pecans. Toss everything together carefully.
Serve
- Serve the salad at room temperature on a bed of warm einkorn grains, or toss fully cooled grains and salad together for a hearty ancient grains salad.
Notes
- In my experience, pink stains from roasted beets wash off easily, due to the olive oil. But you can wear gloves if you want of course.
- You can roast the beets in the oven but I prefer to use my instant pot with the air fryer lid. It preheats in a literal minute and uses a lot less electricity.
- This salad is great on its own as a light lunch or as a side. My favorite way to eat this is as a grain bowl, on top of a bed of cooked Einkorn.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for 2-3 days. The flavors will merge evenly, making the leftovers even better the next day. The pecans might soften a tiny bit, but the salad will still taste delicious!
More from the Grains & Greens Kitchen
Such a perfectly wonderful recipe for fall, and it looks fantastic! I’m already on the side of beets and a huge fan, and I love the idea of pairing it with blood oranges and feta! Definitely a recipe to save!
I generally don‘t like mixing fruit and veggies but I tried this recipe because I love both beets and blood oranges. Since I didn‘t have feta at home, I just skipped it. I cooked some Einkorn and had a grain bowl for lunch for two days. Loved the recipe and will make it again.😊