I always have a salad with my meal whether it's a weeknight meal or I'm entertaining. During the holiday season I especially love this one with beets, mesclun, goat cheese, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds. It not only looks beautiful but tastes amazing as well.
Ingredients for Holiday Beet Salad:
Salad:
3 red beets, peeled
3 golden beets, peeled
4 teaspoons olive oil
5 cups mesclun lettuce
1/3 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup roasted and unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 1/2 - 1 orange depending on the size
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped shallots, 1-2 depending on the size
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Time-Saving Tips: The beets can be prepared in advance and refrigerated separately in airtight containers. The entire salad can be assembled a few hours in advance and kept refrigerated.
Let's see what we need.
Now let's make the salad.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. wash and peel the beets. Keep the red and gold beets separate or else the gold ones will get stained red. Place each variety of beets on a sheet of foil large enough to wrap them in for baking. Drizzle each packet of beets with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Rub all over and then seal the foil packs. Place in a glass baking dish and place in the oven. Bake until beets are tender when pierced with a knife. This can take 1 - 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of the beets.
While the beets are roasting it's a good time to prepare the dressing. I like to add all of the dressing ingredients in a small jar. Once I add the ingredients I put the lid on the jar and shake. It's easier for me. If you don't have a jar a small bowl and spoon to stir works, too.
Once tender let cool. Slice the beets and then dice. Slice and dice the gold beets first...the red ones stain.
To assemble the salad start off by placing the mesclun on a platter. Then scatter the red beets followed by the golden beets. Crumble the goat cheese with your fingers and scatter on top of the beets. Then sprinkle with the pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Give the dressing a shake or a stir and drizzle on top of the salad.
It's ready! This salad is pretty fantastic. It is a beautiful and delicious side to any roast. I actually recently served this salad with roasted salmon and my sons devoured it. It also makes a lovely light meal with a glass of white wine.
Enjoy!
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