ecoPharmacist

Fall Beet Salad

Looking for a healthy side dish for the holidays or for that matter, any day? Look no further! Here is a favorite of mine, the Fall beet Salad, that can be a side or a main dish if you choose. To start the Fall Beet Salad, you will need to roast your own beets. They are so much better than canned beets, and are really, really easy to make!

What you will need:

1 Bunch medium sized fresh beets

aluminum foil

baking sheet

mixed greens

roasted hazelnuts

lemon vinaigrette

crumbled goat cheese

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. This is a flexible cooking temperature; if you’re using the oven for cooking something else, beets can be cooked at that temperature. Obviously the beets will cook more slowly at lower temperature and more quickly at higher temperatures. So keep an eye on them if you are cooking at a higher temperature, so they don’t scorch or burn.

2. To prepare the beets for roasting, you will slice off the beet leaves close to the tip of the beet, leaving yourself enough to grip. (You can save the beet greens for another purpose, if you choose.) Wash the beets thoroughly, then wrap them loosely in foil, individually. No need to dry the beets before wrapping.

3. Transfer the wrapped beets to a baking sheet (to catch drips in case the beet juices leak). Roast for 40-50 minutes. Check the beets every 20 minutes or so. Beets are done when a fork or skewer slides easily to the middle of the beet.

4. Let the beets cool enough to handle. Hold one of the beets in a paper towel and use the edges of the paper to rub the skin away. The skin should peel away easily; if it doesn’t, the beets likely need to cook for a little longer. Peel the remaining beets. Once peeled, beets can be stored whole or sliced for up to a week in the refrigerator.

To make the Fall Beet Salad, simply slice a beet over a bed of mixed greens. Top with roasted hazelnuts, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle the salad with your favorite lemon vinaigrette.