This beet tartare recipe combines earthy beetroot with sweet apple, pickled cucumber and salty feta cheese into a vibrant and delicious appetizer. Feta and beetroot tartare is a vegetarian recipe full of textures and colours that can be served as a side dish for a weeknight meal or a healthy lunch. This beetroot recipe is light and colourful, making it a delicious and elegant appetizer for a festive meal.
What is tartare?
Tartare exists out of finely chopped raw meat (mainly beef) or fish and is prepared with seasonings and a binding agent. The most well known is without doubt steak tartare. This vegetarian tartare recipe will not only please vegetarians but will also become a favourite starter or side dish for the meat lovers out there.
Which ingredients to use
This beetroot recipe combines a few simple ingredients into a great dish.
- Beets: I have used vacuum-packed pre-cooked red beets which reduces the time to prepare this recipe. You can also cook the raw beets yourself if you prefer.
- Apple: I recommend using a sweet apple which goes really well with the earthy flavour of the beetroot. I have used Jonagold apples.
- Onion: Use either red onion or sweet white onion. These are softer in taste and won’t overpower the flavour combination.
- Cucumber: This gives a fresh and juicy taste to the tartare and adds a crunch factor.
- Gherkins: Pickled gherkins provide crunch and lift up the flavours of this vegetarian tartare.
- Feta cheese: The salty feta cheese with the earthy flavour of beetroot is a match made in heaven.
- Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour.
- Apple cider vinegar: The right amount of acidity is what finishes off the dressing of the beet tartare. Apple cider vinegar is a relatively mild vinegar that works great in combination with the rest of the ingredients.
How to make beetroot tartare
- Prepare and chop the vegetables:
Finely dice the cooked beets and the apples (peeled and core removed) into small cubes. I tend to dice them in ¼ to ½ inche (½ to 1 cm) cubes. Just make sure that they all are more or less chopped the same size. Finely dice the red onions or shallots, gherkins and cucumber (peeled and seeded). These can be chopped in smaller sizes than the beets and apple. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. - Add the dressing:
Poor in the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to coat well. - Season and serve:
Season to taste and serve with crumbled feta on top. Finish off with dried basil and finely chopped gherkins.
Useful tips and tricks
You can make this beetroot tartare up to 1 day in advance. Mix all the ingredients, including the dressing, but don’t add the feta cheese just yet. Place in the fridge in a container with a lid. Add the feta cheese just before serving.
Yes, you can add various herbs to the tartare, either fresh or dried. I like to add Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, basil or marjoram. A splash of sesame oil brings a lovely nutty and earthy aroma to the mix. Or consider using a different mild vinegar like balsamic or white wine vinegar.
You can store the tartare in the fridge for up to 2 days maximum. Put the tartare in a sealed container to store.
Looking for more recipes featuring fruit?
- Grilled persimmon salad with feta cheese
- Spicy grilled pineapple spears
- Homemade mango salsa
- Watermelon salad with feta and cucumber
- Belgian endive salad with apple, ham and feta
- Mango chicken curry with coconut
Beet tartare with apple and feta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (or 300 grams) beet or beetroot cooked and peeled
- ½ sweet apple peeled and core removed
- 2 tablespoons red onion or shallot finely diced
- 1 tablespoon gherkins finely diced
- ¾ cup (or 100 grams) cucumber peeled, seeded and finely diced
- 4 ounces (or 125 grams) feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- Finely dice the cooked beet and the apple in cubes between ¼ to ½ inches (½ to 1 cm). Transfer to a mixing bowl together with the finely chopped onion, cucumber, gherkins and mix well.
- Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning.
- Serve on individual plates. Either use a ring to shape the tartare or scoop loose on a plate. Add the crumbled feta on top of the beet tartare and finish off with dried basil and finely diced gherkins.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment with rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #thetastychilli and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
In fact, this is not a tartar?
Well, it is a vegetarian tartar, a great alternative to a traditional ‘beef’ tartar.