Seared Feta Salad with Beets, Hazelnuts & Oregano Vinaigrette (Edit recipe)

This salad helped me getting through a yucky cold, due to its high micronutrient and antioxidant count. Plus, it's delicious!

10 minutes

20 minutes to 25 minutes

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	771
Fat:	58 g
Carbohydrates:	43 g
Protein:	24 g
Cholesterol:	38 g
Sodium:	1176 mg
Fiber:	6 g
Sugars:	25 g
Calculated for total recipe.

by Laura Lea

View original recipe

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup Hazelnut, raw ((sub pecans, almonds or walnuts or .333 cup seeds))
1 Egg, large
15 oz Feta Cheese, approx 15 oz block, sliced in half (or 2 7-8 oz blocks)
.25 cup Panko Bread Crumbs, or rice "bread" crumbs
.25 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
.25 tsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
.75 cup Dried Apricots, (I prefer the 'unsulphured' ones; sub dried cherries or cranberries)
8 oz Pre-Cooked Beets
4 oz Arugula, (sub baby spinach or mixed greens)

Dressing

.333 cup Lemon Juice, freshly-squeezed (from 2-4 lemons, depending on size)
.5 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Honey, raw
1.5 tsp Coarse-Dijon Mustard (Noble Made)
1 tsp White Miso Paste, mild/mellow ((optional))
2 cloves Garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
dried Oreganodried oregano
Food-Grade Oregano Essential Oil, 2-4 drops (optional but good for immunity)
.25 tsp Salt
pinch Black Pepper

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Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and add hazelnuts to a baking sheet. Roast for 12 minutes, or until slightly darkened in color and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Crack and whisk egg into one shallow bowl. Whisk bread crumbs, red pepper flakes and onion powder in another shallow bowl.
Pat feta blocks dry, then dip each first in the egg, then in breadcrumb mixture. Place on a few folded paper towels (don't discard).
Heat a small skillet (around 6") to medium-high heat and add avocado oil. Turn on exhaust. When oil is shimmering and "popping" slightly, add breaded feta pieces side by side (see notes). Allow to sear 5-7 minutes, until golden-brown around the edges. Flip and sear another 3-4 minutes, then carefully place feta back on paper towels.
While feta is searing, chop dried apricots and dice beets into 3/4" pieces. Roughly chop cooled hazelnuts.
Place all dressing ingredients in a blender, except essential oil if using, and puree until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, mince garlic and just whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
Assemble Salad: Place all ingredients except dressing in a large salad bowl and toss to incorporate. Now you can add servings to each plate dry, then dress each one. Or if youu2019re planning to use all the salad at once, dress the whole salad to taste, then serve each plate. On each plate, assemble a few handfuls of arugula, then top with goodies for a prettier display. Drizzle with dressing to taste.

Notes

*It's KEY that you allow the pan to get hot enough so you get a good sizzle sound, if you want coloration; you can test with a small piece of feta. // Leftover salad, undressed and tightly sealed, will keep in the fridge up to 4 days.