This recipe was actually inspired by a visit to one of my favorite restaurants, Kevin Rathbun steak. They have a beet salad with mounds of creamy goat cheese that reminds me of puffy clouds. Served with caramelized pecans, it's amazing.
I must admit, by the end of the holiday season I am over the cooking and the indulgence. I crave something light and fresh that is easy to put together. This beet salad fulfills all those requirements. The quicker I am done cooking, the quicker I can get back to looking like this:
There are no exact measurements to this recipe so feel free to throw in as much or as little of the side players as you want. It all depends on how many beets you are using. Just make sure each layer is seasoned well.
Roasted beet salad with goat cheese
mix of red and yellow beets, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces (you can use all red beets, I used both for color)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
chopped red onion, small dice
roasted pecans or nut of your choice, roughly chopped
good parmesan cheese
goat cheese
fresh basil
Salad dressing
1 part acid (balsamic vinegar)
2 parts extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
(for example, if you want to make 3/4 cup of dressing, use 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup oil)
Un-peeled beets: the forgotten root veggie
Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Take your beets and cut off the rough bottom. Peel them well until the surface is smooth.
You may want to wear gloves for the chopping and place a piece of foil over your cutting board because beets can stain. If not, that's fine. The stains will come out with a good scrub.
Beet hands!
Chop your beets into bite size pieces. I chose to chop mine into different sizes for a visual appeal. Keep in mind if you do this that the pieces will finish cooking at different times. Place the chopped beets onto a sheet pan, drizzle with a good drink of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss together. Roast until a knife inserts easily and they are caramelized and delicious. You will need to flip them once or twice to make sure all the pieces brown evenly (this took me about 35 minutes.) Check for seasoning and let cool before adding the other ingredients. While waiting, have a glass of wine and make the dressing. Pour the vinegar into a measuring cup and whisk in the oil slowly until an emulsion is created. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Once cooled, begin assembling the salad. Add the chopped basil, parmesan (I used a peeler to create parmesan curls), red onion, and the dressing (enough to lightly coat the beets.) If you are serving immediately, you can add the pecans. If not, wait to add these until you serve the salad so they retain their crunch factor. Toss all the ingredients together. Pour onto your serving platter and add chunks of goat cheese on top. More is better here! To garnish, add a little more chopped basil and parmesan curls on top.
Next time you are sick of the same old side dishes, spice it up and give this a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as Dan and I do. Merry Christmas!
