Description
A fresh and vibrant beet feta salad featuring diced beets marinated in a zesty lemon vinaigrette, combined with crisp cucumber, creamy feta cheese, and fragrant fresh dill. Perfect as a light lunch or a colorful side dish packed with bright flavors and simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
- 2 cups roasted or canned beets, diced (from about 2 large beets)
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded, halved, and thinly sliced
- 4 oz feta, crumbled
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Prepare the Lemon Vinaigrette: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the fresh lemon juice and kosher salt until the salt dissolves. Gradually drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify and create a smooth dressing. Taste and adjust the salt or lemon juice as desired.
- Marinate the Beets: Place the diced roasted or canned beets in a large bowl. Pour half of the prepared lemon vinaigrette over the beets and mix well to coat them evenly. Let the beets marinate to absorb the flavors while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Assemble the Salad: Just before serving, add the thinly sliced cucumber, crumbled feta cheese, chopped fresh dill, and the remaining lemon vinaigrette to the bowl with the marinated beets. Gently toss to combine, taking care to keep the feta slightly chunky and prevent the salad from turning pink from the beets.
Notes
- Use roasted beets for deeper flavor, or canned beets for convenience.
- Adjust lemon juice and salt in the dressing to your personal taste.
- Gently toss the salad to keep feta from breaking down and coloring the salad pink.
- Best served fresh but can be chilled for up to 1 day.
- Remove cucumber seeds for a less watery salad.
- Prep Time: 4 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes (if roasting beets)
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: beet salad, feta salad, cucumber salad, lemon vinaigrette, fresh dill, Mediterranean salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad
