Beet Salad Recipe and Guide

The beet salad recipe we are going to prepare today has an orange-balsamic vinaigrette and goat cheese. It’s very easy to prepare and delicious!

This is a classic salad recipe with only a few ingredients that will impress your guests with its elegant appearance and flavours. The recipes that stand the test of time are the delicious yet simple variety, and this fits in that category perfectly. The flavour of the fresh beets blends well with the sharp and distinct flavour of the goat cheese. A basic but delicious balsamic vinaigrette adds some needed tang to the fresh veggies, without overpowering the flavour of your freshly picked beets. You can use just the baby spinach or add mixed salad greens with peppers to really impress your guests with this beet salad recipe.

You can cook your beets in several different ways, this recipe calls for them to be steamed but either method described below will work quite well. Some don’t require you to peel your beets which can be a tough task when they are freshly picked from the farm.

ROASTING BEETS:

Beets can be roasted in the oven whole and without having to peel them first. Just scrub them with a brush under running water to remove any dirt or debris. Before placing them in the oven wrap them in aluminum foil as you would a baked potato. Bake them at 375 F for about 60 minutes until tender all the way through. The cooking time is reduced to 30 to 45 minutes if using smaller beets. Once they are fully cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool.

HOW TO BOIL BEETS:

Perhaps the most popular way of precooking beets is to boil them whole until they are tender. Once boiled the peel is very easily separated and removed before slicing. Rinse and scrub your beets ahead of time as you normally would and place them in boiling water and simmer for 45 minutes, longer for large beets. Drain and press the peels away from the flesh, you may want to wear latex gloves as the beet juice stains skin easily. Once cooled, you can cube and slice them for your salad or use them in other recipes.

STEAMING BEETS:

Steaming is always the healthiest method to cook your vegetables. This method only requires steam, and no additional fats can get absorbed during cooking. It also helps the vegetable itself to keep more of its nutrients and flavour. There are a few different ways to steam your beets.

1. Steamer
   You can purchase a specalized kitchen appliance called a steamer with a heating base, steaming baskets and a lid. You just add a little water to the heating base and put the beets in the basket above, cover with the provided lid for about 15 minutes if the beets are pre cubed.
2. Makeshift Steamer
   A quick homemade steamer can be assembled by using a colander, a pot and a lid which can be fashioned out of aluminum foil in a pinch. Put about 4 to 5 centimeters of water in the pot and then place the colander over it. The colander should fit into the pot but not touch the water directly. Then cover it with your aluminum foil or a proper fitting lid if you have one. It doesn’t have to be a tight seal as long as it keeps most of the steam concentrated on the beets. Steam for 15 minutes as you would with a professional steamer.

Beet Salad Ingredients:

3 large beets peeled and cubed
5 ounces (140 grams) mixed salad greens
4 ounces (120 grams) goat cheese crumbled
Vinaigrette
Orange juice – 1/4 cup (60 ml)
Balsamic vinegar – 1/4 cup (60 ml)
Extra virgin olive oil – 1/4 cup (60 ml)
2 teaspoons sugar optional
1/2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook your cubed beets in a steamer until tender which should take around 15 minutes. When finished you can cool in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of your salad ingredients.

Rinse your freshly picked salad greens in cold water and dry in a salad spinner. Combine your fresh greens with the cooled beets and your crumbled goat cheese.

The dressing is quite simple, just combine your olive oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar(optional) and salt in a small bowl and stir. Drizzle this vinaigrette over your salad just before serving.