Sunday Brunch 2026: Ostertafel Salad

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The Iconic Easter Buffet Salad (recipe by my friend Heide from Lower Saxony)

Recipe by Heide [author information]

Ingredients for ‘Ostertafel Salad’

Salad

  • 200g fresh lamb’s lettuce or arugula, or a mixture of both
  • Preferably a mixture of two of the following: One large apple, one mango, one orange or half of pomegranate
  • 1 medium red beetroot, whole with peel or peeled and pre-cooked
  • 1 handful of walnuts, unsalted pistachios, or hazelnuts
  • 200g firm goat or sheep cheese (feta) or a plant-based alternative like smoked tofu

Dressing

  • 2 teaspoons mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey (you need 2 more for caramelizing, so 4 tablespoons all in all)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (or, if you like, pomegranate juice)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparations for ‘Ostertafel Salad’

  1. It is best to wash the lettuce in a large bowl (or clean sink) in cold water. Remove any spoiled or woody parts. Wash a second time if necessary (in bowl or clean sink). Spin dry or pat dry, or at least let it drain in a colander.
  2. Set the oven to grill (180°C).
  3. Slice the feta or the tofu from its short end in 10-15 mm strips. Then drizzle the slices with honey (you will need about 2 tablespoons of honey in total for that), place them into a fireproof dish (it may leak, so don’t take a flat dish) and grill in the oven until slightly browned.
  4. Wash, peel, and core the fruit (or clean and prepare the pomegranate) and cut into pieces about the size of sugar cubes. If using an apple, after peeling and cutting, briefly dip the cubes in a mixture of a dash of lemon juice (¼ teaspoon or less), 1 teaspoon sugar (raw cane sugar, coconut blossom sugar, agave syrup, etc.), and 200 ml cold water to prevent them from turning brown. Set aside the fruit pieces on a plate.
  5. Wash, peel, and cook the beetroot, then rinse with cold water (if it has not been pre-cooked). Drain the cooking liquid/water through a sieve and slice the beetroot (this will stain your fingers, so wear kitchen gloves if necessary). Cut the slices in half.
  6. Mix the mustard with 2 tablespoons of honey thoroughly, when smooth, add the olive oil and the vinegar. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
  7. Mix the salad in a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly with salad servers. Add the fruits and place the caramelized goat cheese on top and finally sprinkle with the nuts.

Other Options:

  • Also very good as a summer salad on hot days. In this case, we leave out the goat cheese and mix large green olives and/or grapes into the salad.
  • Instead of an oven, you can also use an air fryer to grill the cheese.

Makes a nice side dish or salad for four people/ servings.

Side Notes by Mag:

  1. I love this salad. It totally feels like home!
    When I made the Ostertafel Salad (twice already!), I found out the following things:
    • You can, of course, use other winter salads at this time of year, like miner’s lettuce.
    • If you use precooked red beetroot, make sure it is not fermented or the cooking liquid from the jar contains vinegar. Otherwise, the salad might become a little too sour.
    • You might have to adapt the use of sweetness to the ripeness of the fruit you use. For example, if the pomegranate is still a little light red, or the orange is not so sweet, add a little extra sweet to the sauce with rice syrup or agave syrup to balance that out.
    • The amount of honey you need, depends on the kind of honey you use. Like, if you are using clover honey, the sauce and the caramelized goat cheese (or protein source) will be sweeter than if using a standard forest or meadow honey. Try it out.
  2. You can also leave out the beetroot if you do not like it, or if it is currently unavailable. If you cut down on the amount of ingredients (like leave out the beetroot), be sure to adjust the recipe for the dressing as well. Heide suggested to halve it in that case.
  3. The versatility of the “Ostertafel Salad” makes it quite modular. 🙂 You can scale everything according to the ingredients you are using. Many thanks, Heide, for sharing this delicious recipe!