Beetroot & Soft-Boiled Egg Salad with Rye Croutons

How do you know ingredients will work together in a salad? Because you’d also eat them as a sandwich, that’s how you know. Everything in this dish loves each other’s company, tapping into the ingredients and flavours of my Russsian/Jewish heritage.

It’s a riot of wintry colours, vegetables and textures, but the star of the plate is the rye crouton: crunchy and savoury on the outside, yielding and chewy on the inside. Your basic bread crouton has nothing on these.

ingredients

serves 4

2 medium golden, candy cane or red beetroots
2 thick slices (about 200g) rye bread
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium eggs
½ cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and cut into chunks
A handful each of radicchio, chicory and rocket - or any salad leaves you like
1 1/2 tbsp capers, to serve
2 tbsp chopped cucumber pickle, to serve
A handful of dill, chopped, to serve
A few sprigs of chives, chopped, to serve
Mustard dressing
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp creme fraiche/sour cream
1 tsp red wine vinegar
A big squeeze of lemon
4 tbsp olive oil

instructions

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7 and wrap the beets in foil (you can also boil them whole for 45 minutes if you’d prefer). Place in the oven for 45–55 minutes (depending on size) until you can easily insert a sharp knife. Once done, remove the foil and slip off the skin under running water. Cut into eight pieces each.

Meanwhile, cut the rye into large chunks (you can leave the crust on), toss in the 2 tablespoons of oil and some seasoning and spread out on a lined baking tray. Place in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until they are crisp and a shade darker; allow to cool.

Next, bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the eggs for 8 minutes, then drain, run under cold water and peel before cutting into eight pieces each.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and season lightly.

To assemble, rip the leaves and scatter over a large plate or salad bowl. Throw in the cucumber, followed by the beetroot and eggs. Scatter over the rye croutons, capers and pickles, then generously drizzle with the dressing. Finish with a good coverage of chopped dill and chives, then get eating.