This roasted beet salad is a wonderful, healthy dish to make anytime you have access to fresh beets. It’s a whole beet salad because the entire beet – root, stem, and greens – can be used in this recipe. Any vinaigrette or citronette dressing can be used to garnish this versatile salad, but blood orange dressing really makes the flavors pop. Add rustic artisan bread and a pureed soup, like butternut squash bisque for a filling, nutritious meal.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 medium red beets, peeled, stems reserved
- 4 medium yellow beets, peeled, stems reserved
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
- Greens from 8 beets, washed and coarsely chopped
- Citronette for drizzling
- 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the peeled beets and reserved stems in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast the beets for 40 to 45 minutes, until they are caramelized and tender.
While the beets are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the chopped shallots for 5 minutes, until they are tender. Add the beet greens to the hot oil and shallots and sauté them for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are just cooked through and wilted. Transfer the greens and shallots to a large serving bowl.
Quarter or slice the roasted beets and place them in the serving bowl. Drizzle the beet salad with citronette or blood orange vinaigrette and toss it gently. Divide the salad into four portions and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts onto each serving. Drizzle with additional citronette, if desired.
This roasted beet salad makes 4 servings.
