Warm baby beetroot and carrot salad

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Set aside.

2. Place the baby beets in a saucepan of lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, rub off their skins (use gloves) and place in a bowl. Pour over half of the dressing.

3. At the same time as you’re boiling the beets, place the baby carrots in a separate saucepan, barely cover with water, lightly salt and add a teaspoon of sugar. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, remove the lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes until just tender. Drain if necessary and place in the bowl with the remaining dressing.

4. To serve: Arrange the baby beets with their dressing on a serving platter. Nestle the carrots with their dressing beside them and scatter over the chilli, if using, and fresh herbs.

Tips:

• Use disposable gloves when handling the raw beetroot to avoid staining your hands and avoid wearing white clothing when draining beetroot water.

FAQs:

• What are the health benefits of carrot and beetroot salad? Beetroot and carrot contain lutein, beta-carotene and alpha that are nutrients which are good for the heart. They also contain vitamin C and are known to be beneficial for the skin.

• Are carrots and beets more nutritious when cooked? Carrots are known to provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw. However, there are still a great number of benefits to eating both vegetables while raw and while cooked.