RECIPE : swedish christmas beetroot salad | welt vegan magazine collab

hey from berlin !

after a rough – but comical – day yesterday ( thanks a million for cheering me up, i’ve had an amazing day today ), i’m happy to share some good news ! i’m one of the contributors in the brand new issue of german magazine welt vegan – sharing two swedish christmas recipes, as well as a column on winter in sweden. run to the magazine shop all you german readers !
( edit : just found out that the magazine won’t be out in shop until tue the 8th actually oooops ! so stay tuned guys )

this is one of the two recipes in the magazine. for me this is a swedish christmas essential. in sweden we love smorgasbords ( the word is actually swedish and means sandwich table – go figure ), and at christmas each year we fill the most epics smorgasbords that we call julbord ( christmas table ). for me, a julbord wouldn’t be complete without beetroot salad. the most common version is a creamy one, but i prefer these bright purple-pink mustardy versions.

beetroot salad with kale and toasted hazelnuts
500 g beets
500 g potatoes
100 ml / 0.4 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
200 – 300 g kale (or other greens like spinach)
100 ml / 0.4 cup raisins
1/3 small leek, sliced (about 100 ml)
1 tbsp homemade mustard, or organic dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste

– boil the beets and potatoes in separate pots until soft, leave the skin on while boiling. discard cooking water and let cool.
– toast the chopped hazelnuts in a dry pan on medium high heat for a few minutes, until lightly browned and nutty fragrant. remove from heat.
– rinse and tear the kale into bite-size pieces. place in a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. massage the kale for about 5 mins, until softened and dark green. mix in half of the hazelnuts, and push the kale out to the sides of the bowl, creating a hole in the middle.
– in another bowl, mix mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.
– peel the now cool beets and potatoes (unless you prefer the peel left on the potatoes). cut in slices or cubes and add to the bowl with the dressing. fold in the raisins and half of the leek slices.
– place the beetroot salad in the middle of the bowl of kale and top with the remaining leek and hazelnuts.