by Patty Joy
Beets! This magenta colored vegetable took me a while to fall in love with. Reason #1, I grew up eating them mostly from a can. From time to time my mom would boil them, but still, it was a taste that didn’t agree with me. I went through most of my adult life avoiding beets until it became a favorite of my husband & daughter. Determined to fall in love with this veggie, I set out on a quest to find a recipe that not only made my family happy but was also palatable for me as well!
This salad is our favorite beet recipe. It is vibrantly colorful, fresh, EASY, & elegant. Adding citrus to beets really changed my opinion about this lovely root. It brightens up this garden vegetable with a flavor & zest I love. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!
* Side Note: once roasted, beets can stay fresh in your refrigerator for up to a week. Roast them ahead of time so all you have to do is make the dressing & you’ll have a fancy salad in 5 minutes!
Salad Ingredients
4-6 magenta & golden beets
1 bag organic Arugula
2 Oranges that have been segmented*
2 balls of Burrata
Raw walnuts (sprinkle as many as you like, I use ½ cup for 3-4 servings)
Olive Oil to coat beets
Salt & pepper to lightly coat beets (optional)
* To segment an orange, cut the top & bottom off, slice all the skin away from the orange making sure to remove all the white portion (the pith) & cut the orange between the membrane into segments of orange.
Preparing & Roasting Beets
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees
* Clean beets well by scrubbing thoroughly. Trim off the leaves as close to the ends as possible & cut the tail or tip off the root. (Save your beet greens for a different use, I sauté them in some garlic & EVOO or juice them). Place beets on non-stick foil & drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle some salt & pepper, and cover again tightly with foil. Some people individually wrap their beets, I actually prefer to put them together so that the magenta color bleeds into the golden ones. You can see in my picture how beautifully it turns out.
* Smaller beets will roast in 30-40 minutes and larger ones take about 40-50 minutes. I start checking them after 40 minutes (check with a knife or toothpick).
* Once your beets have cooked, let them cool uncovered for about 10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, use your hands to peel away the outer skin & discard. Wear gloves if you don’t want to stain your hands. My daughter loves to have pink colored skin & its natural dye so have fun with it!
* Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut & serve. I prefer my beets chilled.
Poppy Seed Dressing
3 TBSP Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar*
6 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ tsp. whole grain mustard
¼ tsp. orange zest
2 tsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. honey
Salt to taste (add slowly)
* The Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar is by the Trader Joe’s Brand, if you don’t have access to a Trader Joe’s, you can make your own Orange Champagne Vinegar using 3 TBSP Champagne Vinegar with 2 TBSP Orange juice. For this recipe use 3 TBSP of this variety.
Add all of your ingredients except olive oil in a bowl & whisk . Once they are combined, slowly whisk your 6 TBSP Olive Oil to your poppy seed mixture. This vinaigrette holds nicely in the refrigerator 4-5 days.
Arranging your salad
Place a bed of arugula on a platter. Cut your beets into round slices or cut in half (depending on size) and then into 1 inch cubes or triangles. Arrange orange segments, sprinkle walnuts, add your balls of burrata whole or cut in ½ or ¼’s and drizzle your beautiful poppy seed vinaigrette all over the salad. The poppy seeds add a bit of texture, color, and are just so pretty when they are drizzled over the burrata & beets.
I hope you enjoy this lovely salad under the radiant sun!
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