Roast Beet-Kale Salad with Balsalmic Vinegrette
Bright, Flavorful Dish Features Roast Garlic, Beets and Greens
Jun 25, 2009
A Different Side of Beets
Many of us know beets only as jarred and pickled sandwich toppings, if at all. Maybe you've had the scarlet root vegetable boiled with potatoes and cabbage in borscht, that heartiest of eastern European comfort foods. If you've ever cooked with beets, you know the joy of purple-stained hands, and if you've ever dropped a piece on your white shirt, you've gone out and bought yourself an apron.
Some people complain that beets taste like dirt - and they do, a bit, but only in the loveliest possible way. Especially when shredded into raw salads or wrapped, julienned, with carrots, lettuce and shrimps in crunchy salad rolls.
And beets are far too seldom roasted. In this recipe, chunks of beet are roasted in olive oil, with whole cloves of garlic. Kale, roasted lightly at the end, turns out thick and juicy rather than wilted. Walnuts, feta cheese and balsalmic vinegar round out the flavours. And coarse or kosher salt, and pepper, are always the perfect finishing touch on any roast vegetable. Regular salt will work fine, too.Look for big bags of beets at your local farmer's market - often you can find bigger, cheaper, better ones than at the grocery store.
Beet-Kale Salad Recipe (serves 4 as a main dish, or 6 as a side)
- 6 large beets, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 6 kale leaves, roughly chopped
- I garlic bulb
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- feta cheese
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- course salt
- pepper
Assemble That Salad
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Toss beets with olive oil, pepper and coarse salt in a baking dish
- Cut tips off garlic bulb and lay it flat in the midst of the beets
- Cook for 45 minutes
- Add walnuts and kale
- Cook for another five minutes
- Let cook for 10 minutes
- Move salad to a bowl and toss with vinegar and crumbled feta
- Enjoy at room temperature, or cold
Mix it Up
Every recipe is made to be messed with. Try replacing the kale with different green vegetable, like green beans, broccoli or spinach. Replace the walnuts with pecans or pine nuts. Use goat's cheese instead of feta, or try lemon juice instead of vinegar. Cooking the nuts with the vegetable does a fairly good job of toasting them, but If you want them even tastier, try toasting them in a frying pan or in the oven, alone, before adding them to the salad.
Side Dish or Main?
This is one of those salads that can stand alone, with some crusty bread or a wholesome grain like cous-cous or quinoa. It's also a great side dish for chicken or even steak.
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