Want to know when I share a new recipe? Subscribe today!
More Healthy Salad Recipes
Pink Salad with Feta
Leafy pink salad with feta is one of those side dishes that always feels a bit special. I toss together tender greens with radish, pickled onion, and beetroot for that beautiful pink hue, then crumble over creamy feta for a salty, tangy contrast. It’s light, fresh, and packed with texture – perfect alongside grilled meats or as a stand-alone lunch. The colours make it look like you’ve made an effort, even if it only took a few minutes to pull together.
Ingredients
Croutons
- 100g baguette, diced into cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- large pinch of sea salt flake
Salad
- 100g mixed leafy greens
- 2tsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to season
- 100g feta, crumbled
- 150g diced pickled beetroot
- 50g radishes, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C.
- Toss the diced baguette through the salt and olive oil, then spread out on a baking tray in a single layer.
- Bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes, or until golden and crunchy.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a large salad bowl, toss the salad leaves through the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Next, toss through the beetroot, radish, feta cheese and croutons.
- Finally, drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 505mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 7g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Want to know when I share a new recipe? Subscribe today!
Leafy Pink Salad with Feta
Beetroot, Feta, and That Glorious Pink Glow
I have never met a salad I didn’t thoroughly enjoy, and this gorgeously vibrant pink salad, with balsamic beetroot and feta, is no different. With sweet beetroot, salty feta, and hints of spicy radish and rocket, accompanied by garlic-y crunchy croutons? This pink salad is my definition of actual heaven. And not just because it looks like something out of a fairy tale forest – although, I won’t lie, the pink-on-pink does make me feel rather cute when I plate it up. It’s colourful, crunchy, and so easy to put together that even on a day where I’m not feeling like cooking, I still manage to pull it off.
Throughout spring and summer, I basically become a salad fiend. I could, and quite often do, eat the same basic garden salad every day and not get bored. But let’s be real – variety is the spice of life, and sometimes the same-old same-old needs a little zhuzhing up. That’s where this salad comes in. The balsamic beetroot adds that slightly syrupy sweetness, the feta brings salty creaminess, and then the radishes and rocket wake everything up with their peppery bite. Toss in those crunchy homemade croutons and you’ve got yourself a bowl full of texture, flavour, and full-on satisfaction.
This salad was inspired by Mary Berry’s rosy-pink beetroot, feta and olive salad from her book Simple Comforts. As always though, I can’t help but make a few tweaks to suit my own tastes. I skipped the olives, added garlic croutons, and swapped in rocket for an extra kick. It’s still deeply comforting, but with my own little flair. Speaking of the book, it really is a gem. I have so many so-called comfort food cookbooks that just don’t hit the mark, but this one really does live up to the name. Every page feels like a cosy night in waiting to happen.
Making It Easy on Yourself
One of the things I love most about this leafy pink salad with feta is just how little effort it takes. Honestly, there’s very little actual cooking involved – just some strategic assembling. The beetroot? Straight from a jar. The croutons? Made from a few slices of day-old bread I always seem to have hanging around. And the feta crumbles easily with just your fingers. If you’re anything like me, you’ll appreciate a recipe that lets you feel a little bit fancy without actually requiring much more than some slicing and scattering.
I like to think of salads like this as fridge-friendly. Most of the ingredients are ones I keep on hand anyway – jars of pickled beetroot, blocks of feta, and always, always a bag of salad leaves in the crisper. The radishes are the only thing I usually buy special, and I slice them using a mandolin on its finest setting. Carefully, mind you. I don’t fancy a trip to A&E just for the sake of aesthetics. But the result is worth it – paper-thin slices that add crunch and just enough heat to keep things interesting.
This kind of salad also lends itself beautifully to variations. No radish? Use thinly sliced red onion instead. No rocket? Watercress or baby spinach does the trick. The whole idea is to embrace what you have, not stress about what you don’t. I’ve made this salad so many times in slightly different ways and it always turns out delicious. Once you’ve got the main elements down, it’s pretty much foolproof.
Getting Back in the Kitchen
Now, I do understand and can completely appreciate that I’ve been a bit quiet the past few months. Life happens. I had Covid, then a few other health bits and pieces that made cooking feel like a distant dream. Honestly, there were weeks where I couldn’t bring myself to do anything more than make a cup of tea and stare out the window. But I’m back. Hopefully. Cooking, for me, is something I do when I’m happy. And yes, I’ve been sick, but happiness has also been fleeting – if you know, you know.
Getting back into the kitchen felt harder than I expected. Cooking has always been my go-to for comfort and creativity, so when that spark disappears, it feels like a piece of me goes with it. But slowly, I’ve been finding my rhythm again. Recipes like this leafy pink salad with feta help because they’re low-effort but high-reward. They remind me that cooking doesn’t have to be elaborate or time-consuming to be joyful. Sometimes it’s just about putting a few beautiful things together in a bowl and calling it a win.
I’m not going to promise anything wild like daily recipes or full-on feasts, but I do think I’m ready to start sharing one new recipe a week again. Little by little. If you’ve been along for the ride since the beginning, thank you for your patience. And if you’re new here, welcome. This is a space for honest food, realistic cooking, and a good dose of friendly kitchen chat.
Ingredients Breakdown
Let’s talk ingredients. For the croutons, I start with a crusty gluten-free baguette, torn or diced into cubes. A bit of olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt flakes, and a quick toss in the pan brings them to life. They end up golden, crunchy, and garlicky if I’m feeling fancy. Croutons are one of those little touches that turn a salad from something you eat out of obligation into something you actually crave.
The base of the salad itself is made with mixed leafy greens – rocket, baby spinach, or whatever is on hand – and dressed simply with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Crumbled feta adds a salty creaminess that works like magic with the beetroot. And speaking of beetroot, I go straight for the diced pickled kind. It’s tangy, sweet, and stains everything the prettiest pink. Sliced radishes bring a bit of spice and crunch, and I always use a mandolin for those paper-thin rounds. Carefully, obviously.
To finish, a drizzle of balsamic glaze ties everything together. It adds a glossy richness and balances the saltiness of the feta with just enough sweetness. Nothing fancy, nothing fiddly – just a handful of vibrant, flavour-packed ingredients that work together like a dream. Simple, satisfying, and very, very pink. Just how I like it.
