Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges, Almonds and Goat Cheese

My mouth is honestly watering just thinking about writing about this salad.  It’s just one of my favorite combinations of flavors, especially come fall when I seem to start wanting to put beets and root vegetables into everything.

If your only experience of beets is from a can, then you really haven't tasted beets.  Real beets, roasted and succulent are one of the best things I can think of  to put on a plate, especially with oranges, and goat cheese and toasted almonds, and well, you get the point.

This is one yummy concoction, and it is so simple to put together.  Roasting the beets is a cinch.  When I take them out of the oven, I wear my kitchen gloves to slip off the skins while they’re still hot – it takes about 3 ½ minutes.  Really.  Easy.

You can use goat cheese, or you can use feta cheese, but I like to use both.  I can’t ever decide which is better, so my indecision leads me to excess.  Decide for yourself, but whatever you choose,  I think you’ll like it.  In fact, I think you’ll love it.

Roasted Beet Salad With Oranges, Almonds and Goat Cheese
Printable Recipe

Serves 6

For the Salad:

• 1 pound Beets
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 Oranges
• 1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
• 1/2 Head of Romaine Lettuce
• 5 ounces Mixed Baby Greens
• 2 ounces Good quality goat cheese
• 2 ounces French Feta cheese (not crumbled)

For the Vinaigrette:

• Juice of one Orange
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash the beets and place in a baking pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until a skewer can easily be inserted into the beets.
3. Remove the beets from the oven and cool. Remove the skins and cut the beets into wedges. Toss with another drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and set aside.
4. Peel 2 of the oranges and slice into sections. Cut the 3rd orange in half and juice. Set these aside.
5. Toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
6. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
7. Combine the feta and goat cheeses with your fingers to form medium-sized crumbles.
8. Cut or tear the romaine into bite-size pieces and mix with the baby greens.
9. Toss the lettuce with 3/4's of the vinaigrette and place on a platter.
10. Garnish the salad with the beet wedges and orange segments and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle the salad with the cheeses and toasted almonds and serve immediately.

Comments

[me]

blogging on the plane? is that legal? nice photo... and this IS really good stuff!

[Patrice Berry]

I think blogging on the plane is a good thing. I want to make this again when I get home. Just showed Mom and she wants me to make it while I'm here.