Beetroot avocado and edamame salad

Yotam Ottolenghi is a London based chef who writes a column in the Guardian newspaper called the New vegetarian. I discovered his recipes a few years ago while browsing through the newspaper and fell in love with his creative vegetarian cuisine. He has an amazing knack of combining ingredients which you would not normally think of putting together. This colorful salad is an example of just that. I have adjusted the seasoning elements to suit our palate, but the essence of the recipe is the same.

Crunchy and slightly sweet beetroots, combined with sweet and sour pickled onions, creamy avocado and tender edamame are a great combination of flavors and textures. The herbs cut into the richness of the avocado and the lemon juice gives the salad an extra bit of freshness.

Beetroot, Avocado and Edamame Salad

2 small raw beetroots

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to finish
¼ teaspoon superfine or caster sugar
2 teaspoon Tabasco or Mexican Cholula hot sauce

½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 cup frozen edamame quickly blanched and refreshed in cold water

1.      Peel the beetroots and slice them very thinly, around 2-3mm thick. It is best to use a mandoline. [I have been using this set from Swissmar for the last 12 years and the blades have not worn out yet. Worth the investment if you do not have a mandoline].  Put the beetroot in a pot with plenty of boiling water and simmer for three to five minutes, until semi-cooked; it should still be crunchy. Drain and put in a large bowl.

2.      Add the red onion, vinegar, oil, sugar, chilli sauce, salt and pepper to the beetroot bowl and toss everything together gently with your hands are the best tool for this. [Use gloves since the beetroot will turn your hands pink.] Leave to one side for 10-15 minutes, then taste and see if you want to add more sugar, salt or vinegar – it needs to be sharp and sweetish.

3.      When you're ready to serve, spread half the beetroot mixture on a large platter or in a shallow bowl. Top with half the avocado. Drizzle one tablespoon of the lemon juice over the avocado. Sprinkle the  coriander, mint, and edamame over the avocado slices. Add the rest of the beetroot and arrange the remaining ingredients on top. Drizzle with the remaining lemon juice and a little oil and serve.

Serves 3 to 4

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