Salad ideas to feature roasted beets

[scuzzo]

Been roasting beets for my salads lately. Love 'em. What do think is a good combination of ingredients for a salad, green or otherwise that will compliment the roasted beets.

Currently I like spinach, pine nuts, goat cheese and TJ's Walnut Pear Vinagrette.

Your ideas?

[scuzzo]

Here's a photo of my layered attempt. Layers from the bottom up: Beets with fennel tops, cumin/orange vinaigrette. Fennel, caraway seeds, cumin/orange vinaigrette. Orange slices with mint and a bit of white wine vinegar. Goat cheese. Spiced pecans.

Looked great, tasted good, but I think I liked my all together version better for flavor.

WARNING: Photographed on a BLUE PLATE, so if you find that offensive, please move along.

[beelzebozo]

tyler florence's winter panzanella salad (from food network website)

2 bunches mixture red and gold baby beets
3 shallots
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs marjoram, thyme, and oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices pancetta, sliced into small pieces
1 log goat cheese, refrigerated
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into crouton-sized pieces
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 orange, juiced
1 handful dates
1 large handful arugula

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Take baby beets and cut them in half. Place on a long sheet of aluminum foil. Split shallots lengthwise, leaving them unpeeled, and add to foil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, marjoram, thyme, and oregano leaves and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil into a packet and roast in oven until fork tender and nicely caramelized, about 30 minutes.

In saute pan, cook pancetta until crisp.

Meanwhile refrigerate goat cheese so it is easier to break up over the salad later.

Toss the bread chunks with 1⁄4 cup oil until the bread is wet with the oil. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake until the bread begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

While the bread is going, make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, add the honey, lemon juice, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, and stir together. Add all the remaining ingredients except arugula and gently stir. Taste for seasoning. Remove beets and bread from oven, peel shallots, and add to bowl. Stir together and season with salt and pepper. Add pancetta and arugula.

[scuzzo]

My first try was about a 6 on a scale of 10, but I made it and ate it right way. The second half I ate last night after sitting for a day in the fridge. I would now rate what I made as a strong 9. The flavors deepened and melded and were a big WOW. I might have been extra hungry after a day of whale watching on the ocean, but I was REALLY IMPRESSED WITH MYSELF! ;)

Will make another variation tonight or tomorrow. What I did not like was that the oranges were visually undiscernable due to the bleeding of the beets.

What I think I'm going to do... Marinate beets in OJ and cumin/pinch of cayenne. Marinate fennel in fennel tops and caraway and vinegar. Marinate orange segments in mint. Then layer in a ring mold and include a layer of goat cheese.

How does that sound?

[MMRuth]

Has any one posted about Goin's beets with horseradish creme fraiche sauce? That's a wonderful dish - if you are interested, I'll try to find a link.

Another recent discovery of mine - roasting them with some sprigs of thyme - I was pleasantly surprised that the beets took on the taste of the thyme.

[scuzzo]

I'm interested in both!

To roast with thyme, I'm presuming you cut up and toss together? So far I've just been roasting them whole. I wonder if you wrap with thyme, then foil?

[MMRuth]

To roast - toss the whole unpeeled beets with some olive oil and salt, add some thyme sprigs and a splash of water, cover with foil, and roast for about 45 minutes or until tender, at 400 degrees.

The recipe for the beets with horseradish sauce in the first link here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3970...

[scuzzo]

Thanks!

[Rubee]

This Turkish prep became one of my favorite beets salads when we cooked out of Arabesque (linked below). A garlicky yogurt is spread on a plate, topped with sliced roasted beets, and drizzled with a lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley dressing.

Pic:
http://www.chow.com/photos/36578

Discussion
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3870...

[scuzzo]

That sounds great!

[scuzzo]

I made this tonight...

One diced roasted beet. Half a largish fennel bulb diced. One small orange, peeled, demembraned and diced. A few fennel tops chopped. Dressed with orange juice (I just squeezed the leftover membrane bit, plus drained the cutting board into my bowl...), white vinegar, olive oil, cumin, salt, a big pinch of sugar, and a small pinch of cayenne. I think I'd like a lighter oil next time, but this wasn't bad at all.

I really like it a lot. I used only a small amount of dressing.

I forgot to add goat cheese. I'll add it to what's left tomorrow. Also, I made spiced pecans to top it, but forgot to add. Long day, very tired.

I really like this combination a lot. I think I need another herbal note. Suggestions???

Thanks for the great suggestions. Will try to photograph tomorrow.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'd sub walnut oil for the olive oil [and maybe sherry vinegar for the white].

as far as herbs go, tarragon could work perfectly - it would tie in with the anise note from the fennel.

ETA: oh, and i think some slices or chunks of avocado would be divine in there.

[billjames_88]

Roasted beets with crumpled Wisconsin goat cheese, roasted pecans, mixed greens and a fresh lemon vinaigrette is one of our favorites.

[alkapal]

i love these salad threads. they are so delicious-sounding, and when i eat the salads, i feel so righteous. ;-)

this is a neat thread i saved to my favorites last year: "pimp my autumn salad": http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/456931 it may give some additional good ideas!

[turtleone]

While I love beets in any form one of my favorites is roasted beets, thinly sliced white onions and white wine or apple vinegar and plenty of salt.

[foodwich]

sometimes i wax nostalgic. early childhood memories so roasted some beets, sliced fine and then dressed simply with s/p some sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

[scuzzo]

I like this simple preparation too!

[tdl1501]

Original Chasens, LA. I got there weeks before they closed their doors for good, many years ago. Beets, endive, toasted walnuts. My ever-changing recipe now calls for pecans. If candied there would be a need for blue or feta cheese for balance. My latest addition is a sherry vinaigrette.

[scuzzo]

This sounds nice.

[shivani]

roasted beets, segmented grapefruit and avocado, with or without arugula is one of my favorites.

[patz]

oh man - we've been eating a beets (in various forms - raw, roasted, steamed) with avocado salad weekly for the past few months - it's an amazing combination!

[missmasala]

yesterday, using up what i had in my fridge, i combined steamed green beans with roasted beets and sliced red onion, then dressed the whole thing in a simple red wine vinegar/garlic/olive oil dressing. added chopped mint, tarragon, and thyme. It came out nice. Could also do it with cilantro and dill, added together.

[Passadumkeg]

Scandinavia: cool, mix with herring and sour cream.

[emerilcantcook]

I slice them and then mix them with a yogurt sauce made with with minced garlic and crushed coriander seeds. It turns bright pink. Then I sprinkle lots of roasted chopped walnuts and drizzle some olive oil and eat with a crusty bread.

[HillJ]

Roast beets and carrots together in the oven.
When tender toss in a combo of balsamic vinegar, honey and lime juice
and serve over grilled pork tenderloin. Served with a simple green salad

Room temp roasted beets with fresh tangerines is my favorite salad topper.

[Sharuf]

With beets I like asparagus and hard boiled egg with ranch dressing.

[alanbarnes]

Concur on the recommendation for a spicier green; I like arugula or watercress. Then something creamy, something crunchy, and something sweet. You've already got the goat cheese, which is my favorite for creamy, but feta or a mild bleu will work too. I like to cover the sweet and crunchy bases in one fell swoop with candied nuts (those spiced pecans sound like they'd be perfect if you upped the sugar), or you can go with unsweetened nuts and add some snappy dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, and cranberries all work). You can also throw a little leftover grilled chicken in if you want to add some protein and make it a complete meal. Yum.

[oakjoan]

A wonderful salad can be made using roasted beets and their cooked and chopped greens. The bitter and sweet contrast is great, especially with a vinegary dressing.

[goodhealthgourmet]

try arugula instead of the spinach for a nice peppery bite to balance the sweetness of the beets.

i also love to pair fennel with beets.

[scuzzo]

Maybe a slaw with fennel bulb and beets? What sort of dressing and cheese? Maybe with dried cranberries?

[goodhealthgourmet]

cheese: mild feta or goat
dressing: balsamic or citrus [orange or lemon] vinaigrette with minced shallot

the dried cranberries could be a nice touch [i often use them in a salad with bitter greens, balsamic & goat cheese]

and speaking of bitter greens, endive, radicchio, watercress or any combination thereof would also work beautifully.

[scuzzo]

Citrus dressing!!! That's it! I think a super cool salad is coming together!

[goodhealthgourmet]

i hope so - let me know how it turns out.

[another_adam]

I love the combination of beets and sardines with arugula and other spicy greens. Dressing of sour cream or yoghurt (thinned with a little buttermilk if need be), dill, horseradish or mustard. I usually mix the sardines and beets in with the dressing and let it meld a while, before putting over greens. Works well with tinned sardines, but of course it's much nicer with freshly roasted ones!

[shaebones]

OMG, I just made the most delicious salad w beets from my garden. Was in the latest issue of Cooking Light.
I sub'd candied pecans for the walnuts, goat cheese for the blue cheese, added dried cherries and skipped the chives. I roasted ~ 4 regular to large sized beets in a 450 oven for ~ 1 hour. So good!

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

[nolanani]

I love roasted beets in potato salad. Sliced red potatoes, sliced hard cooked egg, sliced red onion, sliced beets. Oil and vinegar dressing. Lovely.

[tmso]

I make a similar salad, but without the egg, and using a mustard-sauce dressing (dijon mustard in emulsion with olive oil, not sure the proportions, I do it by taste). Yours sounds nice, too.

[Budino]

I love a green salad with roasted beets, peaches, and feta. If I have roasted corn, I throw that in there, too.

[scuzzo]

That sounds interesting!

Here' my latest salad topping...Spiced Pecans.

10 oz. pecans
2 tbs. butter
1.5 tsp cumin (or curry powder)
.25 tsp cayenne
2 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Toast in oven, or saute in pan, and I've even (gasp) just nuked the whole batch stirring every 20-30 seconds. You can cut back the spice amount if you want, but this is a terrific combo of ingredients. Not too sweet, just a hint. Wicked salad topping or just for plain eating.

[jenhen2]

I like mixed greens with blue cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries and red wine vinaigrette, but yours sounds good, too!