A refreshing salad with freshly steamed beets, a bed of arugula, shallot, walnuts, and feta cheese all flavored with a red wine vinaigrette. It's a perfect combination of flavors and textures, making it a great starter or side to any lunch or dinner.
In a small glass jar, add the cumin powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, lemon zest, and olive oil. Add a lid to the jar and shake vigorously or use a spoon to stir aggressively until the ingredients emulsify.
Set up a steamer pot and bring 1 inch of water to a simmer.
Add the cubed beets to a steamer basket and steam until they are fork-tender, about 30-35 minutes, adjusting the heat on the stove to maintain a simmer throughout. Transfer from the steamer basket into a large bowl and add the juice from ½ a lemon and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat.
Pour the red wine vinaigrette over the beets and stir to coat in the marinade.
Let cool on the countertop until room temperature, stirring it every 10 minutes or so to recoat it in the marinade.
While the beets cool and marinate, add the raw walnuts to a small frying pan. Set the pan over low heat and gently toast until the nuts are fragrant, stirring often to avoid burning them. Toast for about 8 minutes, adding ½ teaspoon of salt to the pan after 4 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
While the walnuts cool, thinly slice the shallots, crumble the feta, and chop the fresh parsley.
Add a ½ cup of baby arugula to the center of 4 salad plates and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top, about ½ a tablespoon on each plate. Arrange the beets on top of the arugula and top with the thinly sliced shallot. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts and crumbled feta cheese over the top of the beets. Top each salad with the chopped parsley. Sprinkle a small pinch of flaky salt to each plate. Serve and enjoy!