This salad isn’t just beautiful to look at — which it is, with the contrast between the dark red beetroot and the creamy colour of the tahini — it’s also delicious. If you can get hold of some bright green watercress, the whole thing just comes to life. The earthiness of the beetroot is perfectly complemented by the nuttiness of the tahini and toasted seeds, making this a super moreish salad. One of the other reasons to love this salad is that every element can be made well ahead of time, only requiring minimal last-minute assembly.

INGREDIENTS:

For Beetroots:

• 8-10 medium beetroots, trimmed and scrubbed clean (leave unpeeled)
• Olive oil
• Flaky sea salt

For Tahini Dressing:

• 6 tablespoons raw tahini paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Flaky sea salt

For Toasted Seeds:

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 4 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

To Serve:

• Fresh watercress/fresh coriander/pomegranate seeds

METHOD:

1. Roast the beetroot: Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉. Wrap each unpeeled beetroot in a square of aluminium foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Place the parcels on a baking tray and roast for about 40 minutes, or until a knife passes easily through the beetroot.
2. Cool and peel: Remove from the oven and cool completely. Peel the cooled beetroots with a sharp knife and cut into wedges.
3. Make the tahini dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and honey. Gradually add ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach a creamy consistency. Season with salt to taste.
4. Toast the seeds: Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast for a few seconds, then add the sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds. Continue to toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the cumin seeds begin to pop, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Assemble the salad: Spread the tahini dressing onto a large shallow plate, using the back of a spoon to push it toward the edges. Pile the beetroot wedges in the centre. Sprinkle with watercress, coriander, or pomegranate seeds. Scatter the toasted seeds over the top.

MAKE AHEAD:

1. Beetroot: Can be roasted up to a week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
2. Tahini Dressing: Can be made up to three days ahead. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Before serving, whisk and check for flavour and consistency — you may need to add a little water and adjust the salt.
3. Toasted Seeds: Can be prepared up to a week ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.