Jan 23, 2021

Roasted Beet & Orange Salad

Deliciously sweet and earthy, this roasted beet and orange salad recipe makes an elegant and colourful side dish.

Beet salads are always so delicious. The beets have a natural, earthy sweetness that is brought out further through roasting. Paired with the subtly berry-flavoured cara cara orange, makes this salad absolutely delicious.

The flavours of the beets and orange are enhanced by the nuttiness of the roasted cashews and almonds and the creaminess of the mild goat cheese.

The colours presented by the red beats and red-fleshed orange also make a feast for the eyes. It's a pretty salad that will definitely impress your family or guests.

TIP: When peeling and cutting red beets, rub your cutting board generously with vegetable oil to help keep the beet juice from staining the surface. If you need to keep your hands unstained, use disposable gloves.

TIP: To lower the amount of fat and calories further, do not add additional dressing or cheese to your individual serving.

Ingredients (Makes 8 servings)

4 red beets, peeled, sliced
generous pinch salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 Cara Cara oranges, peeled, segmented
1/4 cup almonds, raw, whole
1/4 cup cashews, raw, whole
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Orange Dijon Dressing:

juice of 1 Cara Cara orange
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the nuts out in a single layer. Place them in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or just until the nuts become fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F / 200°C.

Place the peeled and sliced beets into the middle of a sheet of aluminium foil. Toss with the extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper so that the beets are evenly coated. Fold the foil closed so that it encapsulates the beet slices and place the foil package into a shallow casserole dish. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the beets are tender.

As the beets roast, supreme 3 oranges. Supreming an orange, is where you cut away all of the peel and white pith with a knife, then slice the segments of the orange away from the membrane walls. Alternately, you can peel the oranges by hand and slice them crosswise into thin slices, leaving the membranes.

Juice the fourth orange and place the juice into a sealable container (or into the container for a small blender like a Bullet). To the orange juice add the Dijon, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Seal the container and shake (or blend).

When the beets have roasted, add them to a large salad bowl along with the orange segments, cashews, and almonds. Pour half of the dressing over the beets and oranges and toss to combine. Crumble half of the goat cheese onto the salad and serve.

To each individual plate, add more crumbled goat cheese and/or dressing to taste if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: