Roasted Beet & Walnut Salad with Jammy Eggs & Feta

Earthy roasted beets, toasty walnuts, and rich jammy eggs — brightened with cherry tomatoes and cool crisp cucumber, finished with crumbled feta for salty, tangy creaminess, and dressed simply with a sharp vinaigrette. No filler, no foam, no edible flowers.

Ingredients

• medium beets, scrubbed – 3 whole
• olive oil – 2 tbsp
• walnuts, roughly chopped – ½ cup
• large eggs – 3 whole
• cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1 medium roma tomato, cut into wedges) – ½ cup
• cucumber, sliced into half-moons or roughly chopped – ½ medium cucumber
• feta, crumbled – about ¼ cup

• garlic, minced – 1 clove
• red wine vinegar – 2 tbsp
• Dijon mustard – 1 tsp
• olive oil – 3 tbsp
• salt and black pepper — go light on the salt initially and taste after the feta is added before adjusting – to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss beets with 2 tbsp olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, wrap loosely in foil, and roast directly on the oven rack for 45–55 minutes until a knife slides in without resistance. Let cool enough to handle, then rub off the skins with a paper towel — they come off easily and your hands will look like a crime scene, which is fine.
2. While beets roast, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, tossing frequently, until fragrant and a shade darker. Pull them before they smell burnt — they go from toasted to ruined fast. Set aside.
3. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Lower eggs in gently and cook exactly 7 minutes for a jammy, slightly soft yolk. Transfer immediately to an ice bath for 2 minutes, then peel and halve.
4. Whisk together garlic, red wine vinegar, Dijon, a small pinch of salt, and pepper. Stream in olive oil while whisking until emulsified and slightly thick. Hold off on final salt adjustment until after the feta is on the salad — it contributes significant saltiness on its own.
5. Slice or quarter the beets and arrange on a plate or in a bowl. Scatter the cucumber, tomatoes, and walnuts over the top, nestle the egg halves alongside, and crumble 50g (about ¼ cup) feta over everything. Drizzle generously with the vinaigrette. Add cucumber just before serving if you're not eating right away — it releases water and can make the salad soggy. Eat immediately.