This elegant Beetroot Carpaccio adorned with simple yet delicious rocket salsa makes the most impressive starter or light lunch. Packed full of flavour, simple to make, just exquisite.
Impressive and utmost delicious recipes don't have to be complicated and time consuming. They don't even have to require any particular skills.
My beetroot carpaccio recipe is definitely one of them. It's more of an assembly work as beside roasting your beetroot, all you need to do is a little slicing, a little chopping, quick whisking or mixing and then just making it all look nice and pretty on a serving plate. Easy peasy!
I opted for roasting my beetroot to make this carpaccio. There are two reasons why:
- Roasting brings out even more sweetness from the beets.
- I found carpaccio made with raw beets a little bit too crunchy.
Thankfully, the oven is doing all the heavy lifting for us here and the rest is a breeze.
Jump to:
What is Carpaccio?
Carpaccio is an Italian antipasto or appetiser/starter originally consisting of very thin slices of raw beef served cold with a creamy vinaigrette sauce made with olive oil. It originates from Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. [source: Larousse Gastronomique (Encyclopaedia of Gastronomy)].
It was named in honour of Renaissance Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio who used particular dark red colour in his paintings that resembled the colour of raw meat.
The term "carpaccio" has since been used for anything thinly sliced from meats to fish and also vegetables.
✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple and low effort yet elegant, impressive and most importantly very delicious.
- Easy way of transforming humble beetroot into something exquisite.
- Perfect starter and dinner party offering that can also be served as light lunch or as part of larger spread.
- You can confidently volunteer bringing a dish to a party with this very carpaccio.
- Vegetarian or vegan recipe (with simple adjustments).
🛒 Ingredients to make Beetroot Carpaccio
Here's what you will need to make my Beetroot Carpaccio with Rocket Salsa:
Beetroot (Beets) - I used rainbow beetroot from my veg box which had some regular and yellow beets in. You can use any beets you've got available.
Rocket (Arugula) - Lovely and peppery, it makes such a delicious salsa. You could substitute it with watercress for even more peppery flavour or baby spinach leaves for something a bit milder.
Pine Nuts - We use them both in salsa and as garnish. You could substitute them with walnuts if you prefer.
Capers - For a little bit of tang and sour notes. You could substitute them with some chopped up green olives, cornichons or anchovies.
Nutritional Yeast (Nooch) - An optional extra but I like to add it here. You can swap it for some vegetarian parmesan if you prefer.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Good quality (best you can afford). We are using it in our salsa as well as in a simple dressing/drizzle with balsamic we sprinkle over the beetroot.
Balsamic Vinegar - Used with olive oil as a drizzle over beetroot. However, if you don't have any you can use red wine vinegar with some maple syrup or honey.
Lemon Juice - Optional extra for the salsa. I tend to use it here just to add a little extra zing to the flavour.
Feta/Vegan Feta - To crumble over the top. It adds a bit of briny, salty flavour as well as creaminess. Lush! You could use goat cheese, thin slivers of Parmesan or Manchego cheese or even crumbled smoked tofu.
🔪 How to make Beetroot Carpaccio
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Wash and dry each beetroot well. Don't peel it as it's best roasted with skin on. Wrap each beet individually in aluminium foil and place on a baking tray. Roast in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes. The time will depend on the size of your beets. When they're ready you should be able to easily insert the knife into them.
***Quick Tip*** Refer to my handy guide on How to Cook Beetroot for more details.
Step 2: As your beets are roasting, toast the pine nuts.
Toast them in a dry pan from cold on a low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. You should be able to start smelling them and see the change of colour from pale to light brown.
Keep an eye on them at all times, giving them a little shake or a stir from time to time to ensure even toasting.
Set aside.
Step 3: Prepare your rocket/arugula salsa.
Roughly chop the rocket, capers and half of the toasted pine nuts.
Put them in a bowl with nutritional yeast (if using) and olive oil and give it all a good mix.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and touch of lemon juice.
Set aside until needed.
Step 4: Once the beets are cooked and cooled down a bit gently remove the skin with a knife. It should be very easy and it should almost come away on its own.
Next, slice the beets very thinly using mandoline slicer or a knife. Take extreme care especially when using mandoline!
Step 5: Prepare little dressing by mixing together olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a little salt to taste.
Step 6: Assemble beet carpaccio by arranging thin beetroot slices on a serving plate in a way that they overlap.
Drizzle over your olive oil and balsamic dressing and top with rocket/arugula salsa nicely in the middle.
Sprinkle over some feta/vegan feta and other half of toasted pine nuts.
Serve and enjoy!
🥡 Storing Beetroot Carpaccio
Store: Beetroot carpaccio is best served straight away but any leftovers can be stored in the airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can also roast your beets ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to assemble your carpaccio. They can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days but of course the sooner you use them the better.
Freeze: Not suitable for freezing.
💭 Pro Tips
Use beets which differ in colour to make this carpaccio even more visually impressive.
Roast your beets ahead of time when you have something else in the oven anyway. You'll save energy and make this carpaccio a true assembly job once you're ready to make it.
Swap mandoline slicer for wide vegetable peeler. Less lethal but still sharp so do take care.
Don't be tempted to peel your beets before roasting. They cook so much better in their skins which is a doddle to peel afterwards anyway.
Use a knife to check whether beets are cooked enough. It should insert very easily, almost glide in.
Beetroot does stain so do wear gloves if that's an issue for you. You can also use cut lemon on your stained hands afterwards to clean them very effectively.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Beetroot carpaccio, as it's already being served with rocket/arugula salsa, doesn't really require any extras.
Having said that, you might want to sprinkle few extra rocket leaves on top and serve it with some delicious homemade soda bread or perhaps these fluffy breadstick on the side.
It makes an excellent appetiser, side dish, party offering or even a stand alone light lunch (preferably with some lovely bread as per above).
❓ FAQ
No you don't although I would highly recommend it as roasted beetroot is much softer and easier to chew so quite the opposite to raw beetroot (even very thinly sliced) which is quite hard and crunchy. It's down to personal preference.
Yes, it is naturally gluten-free. If you're using nutritional yeast make sure it is certified gluten-free to ensure there hasn't been any cross-contamination in packaging facility.
Have you tried my Beetroot Carpaccio with Rocket Salsa?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
😋 More beetroot recipes you might like
Polish Cold Beet Soup (Chłodnik Litewski)
Vegan Beetroot Brownies (Gluten-Free)
Buckwheat and Beetroot Salad with Chickpeas
Easy Beetroot Soup (Vegan Borscht)
📋 Recipe
Beetroot Carpaccio with Rocket Salsa
Equipment
- Non-stick frying pan
Ingredients
- 450 g beetroot (3 medium beets) I used rainbow beetroot
Rocket Salsa
- 50 g rocket + more to serve
- 50 g pine nuts divided after toasting; see notes
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional) see notes
- 2 teaspoon (heaped) capers see notes
- 2-3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- salt to taste
Optional Extras
- 30 g feta cheese or vegan feta optional; see notes for possible substitutions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.Wash and dry each beetroot well. Don't peel it as it's best roasted with skin on. Wrap each beet individually in aluminium foil and place on a baking tray. Roast in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes. The time will depend on the size of your beets. When they're ready you should be able to easily insert the knife into them. ***Quick Tip*** Refer to my handy guide on How to Cook Beetroot for more details.450 g beetroot (3 medium beets)
- As your beets are roasting, toast the pine nuts.Toast them in a dry pan from cold on a low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. You should be able to start smelling them and see the change of colour from pale to light brown. Keep an eye on them at all times, giving them a little shake or a stir from time to time to ensure even toasting. Set aside.50 g pine nuts
- Prepare your rocket/arugula salsa. Roughly chop the rocket, capers and half of the toasted pine nuts. Put them in a bowl with nutritional yeast (if using) and olive oil and give it all a good mix. Season to taste with salt, pepper and touch of lemon juice. Set aside until needed.50 g rocket, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional) , 2 tsp (heaped) capers, 2-3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, 50 g pine nuts
- Once the beets are cooked and cooled down a bit gently remove the skin with a knife. It should be very easy and it should almost come away on its own. Next, slice the beets very thinly using mandoline slicer or a knife. Take extreme care especially when using mandoline!
- Prepare little dressing by mixing together olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a little salt to taste.1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, salt
- Assemble beet carpaccio by arranging thin beetroot slices on a serving plate overlapping slightly. Drizzle over olive oil and balsamic dressing and top with rocket/arugula salsa nicely in the middle. Sprinkle over some feta/vegan feta and other half of toasted pine nuts. Serve and enjoy!50 g pine nuts, 30 g feta cheese or vegan feta
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 4 servings) and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- Once toasted, divide the pine nuts in half. Use half in salsa and half as garnish at the end.
- Nutritional yeast is optional and can be left out or substituted with grated vegetarian parmesan.
- Capers can be substituted with green olives, cornichons or anchovies.
- Feta can be substituted with goat's cheese, shavings of Parmesan or Manchego cheese or even crumbled smoked tofu.
- Best served straight away but leftovers can be refrigerated and consumed within 3 days.
- Not suitable for freezing.
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