Shukhi – warm beetroot & mushroom salad

This Ukrainian dish is traditionally eaten at Christmas – serve on toasted rye bread for a crostini-like starter or party canapé

Prep:25 mins
Cook:30 mins

Serves 8
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 134
fat 3g
saturates 0g
carbs 19g
sugars 13g
fibre 4g
protein 4g
salt 0.4g

Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
8 banana shallots, halved and sliced lengthways
6 beetroot (around 900g/2lb), peeled and cut into matchsticks
200g wild or oyster mushrooms
6 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
few tarragon sprigs, leaves chopped
small rye bread loaf, sliced and toasted
½ small pack dill, chopped, to serve

Tip

To transport

This dish makes an ideal starter or canapé to bring to a party. It salad can be served warm or at room temperature, so if you’re taking it to a friend’s place, don’t bother reheating it. Pack the dressed beetroot and cooked mushrooms into two containers. Toast the bread when you arrive, then assemble.

Vary the recipe

This is my version of the salad. If you’re not keen on tarragon, replace it with any herb you really love. Similarly, you can substitute any good-quality vinegar, or even add lemon juice in place of the Sherry vinegar – just make sure the dressing is beautifully balanced.

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and add the shallots. Cook over a medium-low heat for 5-10 mins until the shallots start colouring a little.
Add the beetroot, season well and put the pan in the oven. Cook for 10 mins, then stir and return to the oven for another 10 mins until the shallots are golden and the beetroot is cooked through but still firm.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the mushrooms until golden. Mix the vinegar, sugar, garlic and some seasoning together to make the dressing. Taste to ensure you have a good balance of sweet and sour flavours – it should also be quite garlicky.
When the beetroot is done, stir in the dressing and tarragon. Top the rye bread slices with some warm beetroot salad, the mushrooms and a scattering of dill.