Beets are one of those things that I used to always turn my nose up at. Well…to be honest…that’s putting it mildly. I’d say for the first thirty-something years of my life, they would have been listed at the top of my “Yuck!” list. “Why would anyone want to eat those slimy canned red things that seemed to just languish on the salad bar?” was my sentiment.
Then one day…it all changed.
I was at my favorite NYC restaurant (Balthazar) and when my salad arrived, there were beets! How I missed that on the description I have no idea. I would have never ordered anything with beets!
My friend laughed at me as I forked through the lettuce leaves like a picky toddler. She dared me to eat a beet and, never one to turn down a food challenge, I took a bite.
I am sure there was a look of shock on my face. What I tasted was nothing like the beets I had eaten so long ago in my high school cafeteria. These little red slices were sweet, earthy, and … surprisingly delicious.
Since that fateful day, I have become a huge fan of fresh roasted beets. (I still won’t touch the canned variety!) The simple process of roasting these little orbs brings out their almost candy-like sweetness. Just wrap them in foil, pop them in the oven, and 45 minutes to an hour later…you have a delicious treat.
Give beets a try in this Roasted Beet Salad from my cookbook Simply Salads. The orangey citrus vinaigrette complements the beet’s sweetness and the tangy goat cheese adds a nice contrast.
Enjoy!
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Candied Walnuts, and Citrus Vinaigrette
Makes 4 dinner salads or 6 appetizer salads
Roasting beets brings out their natural sweet and earthy flavor. They will taste nothing like the canned beets that you find in the self serve salad bar.
For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
1/2 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salad:
1/2 pound small to medium beets, stems trimmed and scrubbed
1 bag (5 ounces) Sweet Baby Greens salad blend
1 log (4 ounces) fresh goat cheese
1/2 cup candied walnuts
For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
In small bowl whisk together the shallots, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, Dijon mustard, and oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the salad:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil. Place the foil packet on a baking sheet and bake until the tip of a sharp knife easily slides through the beets, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool. Once cool enough to handle, use paper towels to peel the beets. Cut into quarters.
Divide the salad blend equally among the plates. Top with the beets and then drizzle with the vinaigrette to taste. Crumble the goat cheese on top and garnish with candied walnuts.
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Cook with Jennifer 