Beetroot salad
Saint simplicity in all its glory. The secret to the success of this salad is one and very simple: good quality extra virgin olive oil, which is abundant on Mount Athos and is produced from the monks organic crops. This salad usually accompanies the garlic cod on the traditional table of March 25, in celebration of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. It goes without saying that we also use the leaves and sprouts of beets and not just the bulbs as usual. After all, in the mantality of the monastic kitchen, every edible part of a plant is blessed and nothing goes waste. Try this fasting and nutritious beetroots salad for yourself.
We cut each beet to separate the bulb from the sprouts and leaves.
We remove the leaves that are not in good condition.
If the pieces with the sprouts and leaves are too long, cut them in half or in thirds.
We peel the bulbs with a sharp knife.
We wash the bulbs, sprouts and leaves very well with plenty of water.
We first boil only the bulbs in salted water because they need more time.
After about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the bulbs, we add the sprouts and leaves to the pot and boil for another 10-15 minutes.
Then, we let them drain all together for about 5 minutes.
We cut the bulbs into smaller pieces and transfer them to a plate along with the sprouts and leaves.
We add the chopped garlic, plenty of olive oil and finally vinegar and salt to taste.
When we peel the bulbs it is good to wear gloves because the beets leave a strong color on the hands.
If we want, we can boil the bulbs with the skin and peel them afterwards. This process is easier.
This salad keeps for two days in the refrigerator.
If we aren't fasting, we can accompany the salad with some strained yogurt or tzatziki.
The leaves may initially seem too large, but their volume will be reduced to 1/4 after boiling.
