This delicious spelt salad is made with pomegranate seeds, beetroot and grapefruit. Super easy to make and delicious.

spelt salad with beetroot and pomegranate

Spelt salad with beetroot and pomegranate

This salad came about more or less randomly but it was so good that it was also featured in a Dutch magazine years ago. I had actually bought a couple of pomegranates at the market a bit earlier that week and they needed using so I started browsing the internet. I came upon the combination of beetroot and pomegranate and that is when it just clicked. 

It’s a deliciously fresh salad and while cleaning the pomegranate is a bit of a pain it is worth it! If you’ve never used a fresh pomegranate before you might be surprised at how it looks when you cut into it. If you know Jamie Oliver, I’m sure you must have seen him wacking a pomegranate with a wooden spoon on the head which does get all the arils out, but it is also extremely messy! If you want to try that method, make sure to cover the kitchen in plastic including yourself. πŸ™‚

The method I prefer for cleaning them is simply with my hands. I cut the pomegranate open and take a large bowl. I place the bowl in the sink so it is lower and surrounded by the sink itself. I then break it open and pluck out the arils, removing the white bits. It’s probably not the best method but it’s the one I find the easiest to use. Apart from that you can actually buy them cleaned and all in the supermarkt, so that is absolutely an option here too.

spelt salad with beetroot

Roasted beet salad

For the beetroot salad I like to use roasted beets. Those are also bought pre-roasted at the grocery store but again, you can simply roast them yourself if you want to. That obviously requires a lot more time so keep that in mind when roasting the whole beets in the oven. Cutting them into smaller pieces is a quicker method to use. Roast the beet on a baking sheet in the oven on high heat for anywhere between 45-60 minutes or until a knife goes in easily. 

Spelt is an ancient grain and might be known under the name farro where you live. Spelt is a whole grains kind of product but can easily be replaced by quinoa, rice or farro if you want. 

Making the spelt salad with beetroot

Once you have all your components ready, making the salad is really a piece of cake. I used 50 gr of spelt and cooked it for about 10 minutes or whatever the package reads. Once cooked I drain the grains and place them in a small bowl to the side while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cut the grapefruit with a sharp knife removing all the skin from the fruit including the white membranes. Then using a small pairing knife cut out the segments of the grapefruit and make sure to place a bowl under it so you catch any liquids coming out while you’re working. You’re gonna need that later for making the dressing.

Spelt salad with beetroot

The fresh beets once roasted are then cut into smaller cubes and added to the bowl. Add the pomegranate arils and mix the spelt through. 

Making the dressing

The dressing is a combination of olive oil, white wine vinegar (but balsamic vinegar would also work really well), the grapefruit juice and pepper and salt. You mix the dressing through the salad and you’re ready to serve. Due to the earthy beets and the pomegranate the salad is already fairly sweet so it doesn’t need any extra sweetness, but depending on how sweet or sour your grapefruits are you can add a little bit of honey or maple salad to the dressing if you want. Finish the dish with salt and black pepper and add the roasted pine nuts.

Variations

Now if you’re a fan of goat’s cheese you could absolutely turn this into a goat cheese salad. Goat cheese is a perfect combination in this salad so definitely worth a try!

Also check out this delicious spelt salad with chestnuts.

spelt salad with beetroot and pomegranate

Spelt salad with beetroot and pomegranate

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GangSalad
KeukenDutch

Due to the use of the fruit and the beetroot this spelt salad is fairly sweet. Adding some goat's cheese would be the perfect addition! Note that the time given is taking into account that you use already roasted beetroots!
Prep time 15 minutes
Total time 15 minutes

1 person

Ingredients

  • 1 pomegranate
  • 1 red grapefruit + 1/2 red grapefruit for the juice
  • 50 gr spelt
  • 1 beetroot cooked
  • 2 tbsp pinenuts

DRESSING

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • pepper
  • salt
  • juice of 1/2 grapefruit

  • Boil the spelt for ten minutes, drain and leave to cool. Remove the pomegranate arils and discard the rest of the pomegranate. Cut off the thick skin of the grapefruit all the way around, including the membranes. Then remove the segments from the grapefruit without removing the white skin.
  • Toast the pine nuts and set aside.
  • Roughly grate the beets.
  • Make a dressing with the juice of half a grapefruit, olive oil and white wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Toss all salad ingredients, sprinkle with pine nuts and add dressing.

Nutrition Information per portion

Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 1251mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 2867IU | Vitamin C: 95mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5mg

Disclaimer

The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.

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Simone van den Berg

Food blogger from the Netherlands. Loves good food. Likes to create healthy and easy recipes for daily use, but also loves the occasional sweet dish. Lives in the Netherlands with her two cats; Humphrey and Buffy. Profession: Food photographer, food blogger, recipe developer and nutritionist