This is just a quick and simple canape or starter dish. While beetroot and goat cheese are the more traditional combination, the stronger saltiness of feta combines very nicely with the sweetness of the beetroot. The feta needs to be marinated a day or two in advance, in the fridge, however, you should take it out an hour or two before using as the olive oil becomes slightly jellylike in the fridge. If you don’t have the time or inclination to roast beetroot, you can just buy the ready cooked vacuum packed stuff, cube it and pan fry it instead. I made this using bought shortcrust pastry, as I hadn’t attempted baking a tart in my terrible oven before, and didn’t want to find I’d wasted the time and effort of making my own if it didn’t work (especially as I was baking it in a muffin tray). I am told there are good brands of readymade pastry out there, but the one I used turned out to not be one of them, so I would suggest making your own.
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Beetroot Tartlets with Fennel Marinated Feta
- Total Time: 3 days 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A simple appetizer or elegant canape
Ingredients
- 100g feta, crumbled
- Peel of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp (10 ml) toasted fennel seeds
- 3 whole raw beetroot
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped dill
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pinenuts
- Olive oil
- 1 pack shortcrust pastry
Instructions
- To marinate the feta, store in a jar or sealable container, top up with olive oil until covered, and mix in the lemon peel and fennel.
- Leave in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Roast the beetroot in a little olive oil at 200c until soft and slightly golden tinged on the outside, about 30-40 minutes.
- Leave to cool, and chop into small cubes.
- Cut the pastry into 12 discs (this will use most of a 375g pack) of pastry using a cutter or the rim of a large glass and bake blind as directed on pack using olive oil greased tartlet cases or a muffin tin.
- Mix the beetroot cubes with the feta and some of the fennel seeds and season well.
- Once the cooked pastry has cooled, top with the beetroot and feta mixture, and garnish with chopped dill and pinenuts.
Notes
- Feta should be prepared 2-3 days in advance.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tartlets
- Calories: 210
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the feta need to be marinated 2–3 days ahead?
The recipe stores the feta in a jar covered with olive oil, lemon peel, and fennel seeds in the fridge for 2–3 days so the cheese fully absorbs the aromatics. The article and notes both flag this as the one essential make-ahead step — skipping it means the feta won’t have the fennel-lemon flavor that defines the dish. 
Why should the marinated feta be taken out of the fridge an hour or two before serving?
The article explains that the olive oil becomes slightly jelly-like in the fridge. Letting the jar sit at room temperature for an hour or two before use allows the oil to return to a liquid state so the feta is easy to work with when topping the tartlets.
Can I use ready-cooked vacuum-packed beetroot instead of roasting fresh beets?
Yes — the article specifically mentions this shortcut: cube the ready-cooked beetroot and pan-fry it instead. The recipe roasts raw beets at 200°C for 30–40 minutes, so the pre-cooked option saves significant time.
