Dinner Tonight: Beet, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Salad
They're nothing new, but I am still rather enamored of the pre-cooked, shrink-wrapped beets you can buy in the grocery store. I first encountered them a few years ago at Fairway in Brooklyn, but living in Estonia they're ubiquitous in every shop in town (along with potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetable). I'm not talking about the canned and jarred beets, those pickled slices that almost ruined the vegetable for me. Just sweet, fresh beets that don't require an hour of roasting or a long boil.
For me a salad is supposed to be an easy dinner that doesn't require firing up the oven, so a big advantage is using them in salads. This recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis, pairing the beets with the usual goat cheese and walnuts but not-so-usual avocado. The dressing is especially interesting, a combination of shallots, balsamic, oil, and honey. Over peppery arugula, the honey accents the beet's sweetness.
Beet, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Salad
-serves 4-
Adapted from Food Network.com
Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 medium cooked beets
6 cups baby arugula, or normal arugula roughly torn
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted then coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/2 avocado, pitted and cubed
3 ounces goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Procedure
1. Whisk together vinegar, shallots, and honey in a bowl, then whisk in the oil slowly to make a vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If using raw beets, quarter and toss in the vinaigrette and roast until cooked and gently caramelized, about 15 minutes.
2. Toss arugula, walnuts, cranberries, and cooked beets in remaining vinaigrette. Arrange on plates, top with avocado and crumbled goat cheese, and serve.
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10 Comments:
Fantastic combo I've been on a curried lentil salad kick myself - in fact, I'm making one right now - but you've inspired me. All these ingredients are going on to my shopping list.
http://danamccauley.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/lentils-for-lunch
DanaMcCauley at 5:14PM on 05/28/09
Now I have to go to the store and get an avocado! This looks so good, and it'll go perfectly with the bean soup I've got slow-cooking.
runrgrrl at 6:05PM on 05/28/09
Looks amazing, I love walnuts, beets and goat cheese, but I have never seen these pre-cooked beets you speak of? I am jealous!
Katerina at 7:54PM on 05/28/09
I've had a salad pretty much identical to this at Biaggi's a few times (they use dried cherries instead of cranberries, and coat goat cheese rounds in crushed walnuts)--it is unbelievable! I've got arugula growing like mad in a container on my deck, some goat cheese in the fridge, and cranberries & all the dressing ingredients in the cupboard...think I need to pick up the avocado & beets tomorrow! I could eat this all weekend...
dana828 at 10:11PM on 05/28/09
So, I roasted some beets last night and added my avocado to the banana bowl to encourage it to ripen....hopefully this salad will be on my plate tonight. : )
DanaMcCauley at 11:51AM on 05/29/09
Thanks blake!
I like the simplicity of this one. It's a keeper
hungrychristel at 2:29PM on 05/29/09
I probably would not have combined beets and avocado in a million years, but it sounds so good. (mumble-mumble...have to put beets on shopping list...)
dbcurrie at 2:28AM on 05/30/09
Could you use canned beets?
anderkr1 at 3:49PM on 06/01/09
My husband and I had the salad last night for dinner. The avaocado wasn't ripe yet so we left it out and neither of us are fans of arugula so we substituted mixed greens. It was wonderful. We'll definately have it again.
(anderkr1) I would absolutely suggest using fresh beets, we baked then a little longer 45 minutes instead of the suggested 15 minutes.
Getting the stain off my hands was pretty easy too. Cooks Illustrated suggested spinkling hands and rubbing hands with salt, the crystals helped the absorption of the red dye.
sonicgirl at 3:30PM on 06/02/09
Trader Joes carries cooked beets in a vacuum bag. Use them all the time, will make this salad this weekend.
pbergst at 10:39AM on 06/04/09