Adding goat, blue or feta cheese can enhance the salad depending on what you are serving with it. Since I served it with a quiche, I did not add cheese to the beet salad.

Roasted Beet Salad

Ingredients

1 pound medium beets tops and roots trimmed (about 3 beets)
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 small apple diced (a sweet/crisp apple such as Honeycrisp, or tart such as Granny Smith)
1 large radish, sliced thin
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup diced red onion
1/3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beets in a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar dish large enough to hold them comfortably in a single layer. Pour a thin layer of water into the bottom of the dish, cover with foil, and bake until the beets feel tender in the center when pierced with a small, sharp knife, 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or longer depending upon the size of your beets.

Transfer the beets to a cutting board and let stand until cool enough to handle. If you are concerned about staining your cutting board, lay a sheet of parchment paper over it first. You can also wear gloves to protect your hands,

Once the beets are cool enough to handle but are still warm, with a paper towel, rub away the beet skins. If they are stubborn and stick, peel them with a small, sharp knife. Slice the beets and place them in a bowl.  Set aside.

When ready to assemble the salad, use an attractive serving bowl or plate. For the first layer, circle the dish with sliced beets. Then add a thin radish slice. Scatter the onion over the beets. Place the lettuce in the center, top with the tomatoes, and scatter the nuts and berries around the plate. Drizzle with some of the dressing. Pass the remainder of the dressing into a serving bowl and serve with the salad.

Lemon Dressing

ingredients

1 lemon
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
Two 3- to 4-inch sprigs of fresh chives
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

With a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemons into strips. Remove any white pith from the strips of zest, if necessary.

In a small saucepan heat, the lemon zest, oil, and garlic over low heat until the oil just begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes. The garlic should not brown, or it will taste bitter. Remove the zest. Squeeze the lemon and add the juice to the butter mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a small heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the chives and parsley.

 


Posted by in Salad, Salad Dressing