Name: Beet and Feta Salad with Buckwheat
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2-3 large beets, trimmed*; 1 cup buckwheat, uncooked; 1 medium English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced; 1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced; ½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped; ½ - 1 cup feta crumbles; ¼- ½ cup chopped pecans, or other nuts or seeds; 2-3 cups arugula leaves; 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; Juice from 2 lemons; 1 tablespoon honey; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; Pinch of salt

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This gluten-free beet and feta salad includes tasty buckwheat, earthy beets, and a lemony vinaigrette dressing! While the beets roast and the grains cook, you can prep the vegetables and prepare the dressing to save time for this beets and cucumber salad!

A little-known fact, buckwheat is not a grain, or from the wheat family, but a seed from a flowering plant that is related to rhubarb! And it is gluten-free! If you are gluten-sensitive please double-check your recipes since some buckwheat recipes can use other flours, i.e. soba noodles or buckwheat pancakes. For more on buckwheat, Harvard Health Publishing of Harvard Medical School has a fantastic read!

What You'll Need For This Beets and Cucumber Salad:

2-3 whole beets for roasting
Buckwheat, either cooked or uncooked
Vegetables, such as cucumber and shallot (or red onion)
Salad greens, I used arugula
Fresh mint
Feta crumbles
Pecans, unsalted
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
honey
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh lemon or lemon juice
garlic cloves

Equipment:

Medium Pot
Tinfoil
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl

beet and feta salad mixed with beets make it pink — Buckwheat salad with the beets mixed in! Delicious even saturated in pink! If you prefer less pink, top the beets at the end!

How to Make Beet and Feta Salad:

For more flavor, I highly recommend roasting the beets. If you want to save time, steaming beets or using a pre-cooked version is also doable.

For roasting the beets, trim them (save the greens!) and scrub them clean. Next, pierce them a few times to the center with a knife or fork. Wrap loosely with tin foil. Roasting will take at least 45 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, it is then time to cook the buckwheat! Cooking buckwheat uses a 1:2 seeds-to-liquid ratio. For every cup, cook them in 2 cups of water (or broth for more flavor). They will simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.

While both the beets and buckwheat are cooking you can prepare your salad dressing. Once everything is done cooking, and the beets are peeled and chopped, you'll just want to mix your salad ingredients (beets last) and the buckwheat with the dressing. Save the beets for topping at the end unless you want a pretty pink dish (I did it the first time I tried creating this recipe! See above!).

Variations:

This salad contains delicious buckwheat grains, but if you don't have buckwheat in your pantry, no problem!

Other delicious types to try? Farro, pearled barley, couscous, and even quinoa. These hearty grains would blend in nicely with the beets and lemon dressing.

If you are one of those people (I know many personally) who think beets taste like dirt, a different vegetable can also be used! Roasted sweet potatoes, different types of squash, carrots, or even parsnips.

Prefer a vegan version? Use your favorite dairy-free cheese for the feta and substitute maple syrup for the honey.

Any type of green can be used here. Salad greens, mustard greens, spinach, you name it.

Can't get enough of beets? Try my Roasted Beet Pesto Pasta Toss recipe! It's a wonderful way to use up those leftover beet greens!

Hope you enjoy this tasty and healthful beet and feta salad! Leave your comments or questions below!

XOXO Bunny

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Beet and Feta Salad with Buckwheat

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This hearty beet and feta salad includes tasty buckwheat grains, earthy beets, and a lemony vinaigrette dressing!

Author: One Hungry Bunny
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Category: salad
Method: roasted
Diet: Vegetarian

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and scrub the beets until they are clean. Pierce the whole beets with a fork or knife 2-3 times and wrap loosely in foil. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the beets are tender in the center tested with a fork or knife. Set aside and let the beets cool down.

While the beets are roasting, rinse and strain the buckwheat over a fine mesh strainer. Bring a medium pot with 2 cups of water to a boil and add in the buckwheat kernels. Reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for up to 15 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

Prepare the dressing in a small mixing bowl by whisking together all the ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.

Once the beets are cooled, using an old clean towel or wearing rubber gloves, rub off and peel the beet skins. Trim the beets and cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the buckwheat and all the salad ingredients except the beets. Mix in the dressing until fully combined. Plate the salads and top with the roasted beets. Top with more feta and pecans as desired.