Beet and Citrus Salad With Pine Nut Vinaigrette Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt. Video: Serious Eats Video

Sweet as candy, rich and earthy, with a great sorta-soft-sorta-crisp texture, fresh beets are one of my favorite vegetables to work with.

2:23

How to Roast Beets

Recipe Facts

5

(1)

Active: 30 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (900g) raw beets, greens and stems removed, scrubbed under cold running water

  • 5 tablespoons (75ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 sprigs rosemary or thyme

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) sherry vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) agave nectar (or honey, for a non-vegan version)

  • 1/4 cup (about 70g) toasted pine nuts, divided

  • 1 small shallot, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) walnut oil

  • 1 grapefruit, cut into segments

  • 1 orange, cut into segments

  • 1 cup (1 ounce) loosely packed arugula leaves

  • Orange zest, for garnish

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Fold two 12- by 18-inch squares of heavy duty aluminum foil in half cross-wise. Crimp the left and right edges to form a tight seal (leave the top open). Toss beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between both foil pouches. Add 2 sprigs rosemary or thyme to each pouch, then tightly crimp top of pouch to seal.

  2. Place pouches on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Cook until beets are completely tender and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into a beet through the foil pouch shows no resistance, about 1 hour. Open pouches and allow beets to cool for 30 minutes. Peel under cold running water (the skin should slip right off). Cut beets into rough 1 1/2-inch chunks.

  3. Combine vinegar, agave nectar, half of pinenuts, and shallots in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil followed by walnut oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. Toss beets with half of dressing in a large bowl, then transfer to a serving plate. Add grapefruit, orange, and arugula leaves to bowl along with 1 more tablespoon dressing. Toss and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving plate with beets. Drizzle remaining dressing around beets, sprinkle with remaining pinenuts, top with orange zest, and serve.

Special equipment

Rimmed baking sheet

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
321 Calories
22g Fat
30g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 321
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 458mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 43mg 215%
Calcium 56mg 4%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 708mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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