Roasted Beet Salad with Balsamic Glaze Dressing

.A plethora of recipes are available for roasted beets as a key ingredient, many of which recipes are for delicious, flavorful salads.  The roasting procedure lends to a a more caramelized texture creating a more intensely sweet flavor.  I picked up some gorgeous, plump red beets in the market this week and decided that I simply had to roast them to bring out their sweet, intense flavor.  When roasting beets, it is best to wrap them in aluminum foil in order to prevent them from drying out during the longer roasting time.

The foundation of the salad itself was from Giada de Laurentiis in honor of the Potluck (anything goes) theme with the I Heart Cooking Club group this week . . .  but with one adjustment:  I used my own balsamic vinaigrette.

What did I think of this beet salad?  It was OK, but not as good as I thought it would be.  The dried cranberries, feta cheese, and walnuts were a superb addition and the mildness of the avocados balanced the stronger flavor of the roasted beets.  For those who enjoy more bold flavors, roasting beets is the way to go, but I prefer mine more mild from boiling them.  I think I'll stick to what I prefer in the future, but it was a nice recipe to try.


Roasted Beet Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette


Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
4 medium beets, cooked and quartered
3 cups fresh arugula or any fresh lettuce that you prefer/have on hand
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette

Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the beets in the pan and lightly pour olive oil over the beets, and sprinkle with salt.   Roll the beets around to thoroughly coat with the olive oil.
Cover the beets with another sheet of aluminum foil and roast for 1 to 2 hours. After 1 hour, test for thorough cooking by poking the beets with a fork about every fifteen minutes.  The beets are cooked when tender and a fork inserts easily.  Remove from the oven and cool to a warm temperature.
Once the beets are a bit cooler to the touch, peel off the skins and cut into 1 to 1-1/2" pieces.
In a medium bowl, toss the beets with the balsamic vinaigrette to coat well.
Add freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Toss the lettuce, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough balsamic vinaigrette to lightly coat.
Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper, and if necessary, some sugar.
Mound the salad on top of salad plates.
Arrange the beets, avocados, and feta cheese crumbles on top of  the salad. Pin It