Beetroot carpaccio with whipped goat cheese and caramelised walnuts

Does crisp, earthy beetroot carpaccio smothered with rich whipped goat cheese and topped off by sweet, crunchy walnuts sound good to you? It's a dream flavour combination, the kind that poetry is written about. Plus if you're looking for dinner party starters with beetroot, it's perfect. It looks beautiful on the plate due to the vibrant red colour of the beetroot carpaccio paired with the white whipped goat cheese, and I scatter some rocket/arugula on top to add a flash of green along with the caramelised walnuts.

The key to making beetroot carpaccio is to get the slices as thin and even as possible without losing shape. It will be easier because it's raw and firmer, but here are the steps I use:

• Peel the beetroot using a vegetable peeler and try and even up the shape to get a smooth line
• Place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill them down
• Use a knife to carefully cut thin slices, or use a mandoline slicer if you don't feel confident!

This beetroot carpaccio can also be adapted to make canapes, served on crostini, or as a snack!

I like to eat this salad at any time of year, because of the flavours it can work both in winter and summer which is great as I love it!

If you're in search of salads, here are some others you might like, or keep reading for the recipe fo this beetroot carpaccio with whipped goat cheese and caramelised walnuts.

Caprese salad

Peach Panzanella salad

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions and variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Beetroot carpaccio with whipped goat cheese and caramelised walnuts

Ingredients

• Beetroot
• Soft goat cheese
• Cream cheese
• Milk
• Walnuts
• Sugar
• Salt
• Rocket leaves/arugula
• Walnut oil
• Sherry vinegar
• Dijon mustard

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F

Spread the walnuts on a tray and toast in the oven for five minutes until fragrant

Scatter over the sugar, shake the tray to make sure the nuts are coated on all sides and return to the oven for a further five minutes or until the sugar has caramelised around the nuts

Remove from the oven, and sprinkle over the salt, making sure the nuts don't all clump together. Be careful, they'll be hot!

Allow them to cool whilst you prep everything else.

Peel and slice your beetroot into thin 2mm rounds, taking care to keep them even.

Place your goat cheese and cream cheese into a bowl and whisk until smooth and incorporated, adding a tablespoon of milk to slacken it.

Make your dressing by mixing the walnut oil, dijon mustard and sherry vinegar in a jar and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Assemble your salad by spreading the beetroot carpaccio on plates in a circle, spooning some whipped goat cheese into the centre and then placing a handful of rocket leaves/arugula on top. Scatter over some of the caramelised walnuts then drizzle over some dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Substitutions and variations

Here are a few ways to change up this recipe to suit you.

• Nuts - you could try using pecans instead of walnuts if you prefer
• Cheese - use feta instead to change this up!
• Canape - serve the beetroot carpaccio and whipped goat cheese on a crostini and top with the caramelised walnuts to make this into a classy canape for dinner parties .

Equipment

You will need an oven tray, mixing bowl and whisk for this beetroot carpaccio recipe.

Storage

Store all the components separately in the fridge and assemble as needed. Good for 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

The caramelised walnuts make a great snack by themselves, so make extra and keep them in Tupperware for when you feel like some of that sweet crunch.