This salad is one we should have made long ago, but given the vitamin C from our navel orange component, we figured it was a good way to open 2021. The earthiness of the Beets combined with the sweetness of the navel orange, the tartness of the champagne vinegar, and the creaminess or saltiness of the cheese (depending on whether you pick goat or feta) makes for a truly delicious salad with a simple complexity.
This can either be served as a side dish/appetizer or as an entree if you add something like quinoa or millet to give it more body. We opted to turn ours into an entree using millet (because when we went to find the quinoa, we realized we were out!).
Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Red Beets
- Crushed Walnuts or Candied Walnuts
- Goat Cheese or Feta depending on the flavours you prefer
- Greens of your choice. We used baby spinach.
- 1/2 Navel Orange
- For your Dressing:
- Juice from your other half of the Navel Orange
- Olive Oil
- A Splash of Champagne Vinegar
- Honey (to taste) to cut acidity a little
- Black Pepper
- Mustard Powder
- Optional: Quinoa or Millet if you want to turn this into an entree salad.
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet with some foil.
- Peel and cut your beet into small cubes. Toss the cubes in a little olive oil with a splash of champagne vinegar,and then arrange them on your baking sheet.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes until your beets are soft to chew.
- If making quinoa or millet, start it as your beets are about halfway done cooking. Mix 1 part grain to 4 parts water in a pot, bring to a simmer, and cook until the water is all absorbed/evaporated. We used 1/3 cup millet and 4/3 cup water for two salads.
- As your beets bake, slice your orange in half.
- Peel one half, and cut it into chunks.
- Juice the other half, and combine the juice with a little olive oil and some champagne vinegar. Add in some honey, black pepper, and mustard powder (emulsifier that will bind the oil and water), and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Arrange your greens on your plate. Optional: Scoop your quinoa over the middle of your greens.
- When your beets are done, arrange the cubes over your salad, and then top them with your orange chunks, walnuts, and cheese.
- Lastly, pour your vinaigrette over everything.
- Devour, and enjoy!
