This is a simple, but delicious salad that takes just a bit of prep.
Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad w/Honey Orange Vinaigrette
Stuff to buy:
1-3 beets (ruby or gold is fine)
Baby greens mix (or make your own)
shelled walnut chunks
organic goat cheese
dried organic cranberries
red wine vinegar
olive oil
organic honey
fresh squeezed organic orange juice
cup of water
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
1) Start off by roasting the beets. Remove any stems. Wash and scrub their skins (but leave the skins on) and place in a non-staining baking dish with around a cup of water. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees until a fork pierces the largest beet easily. That will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the size and age of the beet. (large beets take longer, older beets take longer).
2) Once the beets are done, let them cool a bit. You should be able to peel them with your fingers, but otherwise just use a peeler to remove the skin. Cut them into small chunks and reserve. Some folks prefer their beets cold, I actually like them warm in the salad.
3) Place greens into serving bowl. Add beets, crumble goat cheese over the top. Add walnuts and cranberries.
4) In a stable mixing container add 1/4 of red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 2 tablespoons of honey (adjust this for sweetness) and a pinch of salt & pepper. While whisking, add 1/4 cup of olive oil to create a vinaigrette. Add oil very slowly or the mixture will break.
5) Pour small amount onto salad.
6) Eat the damn thing already!
(you can also boost this salad by adding some chia! sprinkle it on the salad mix before the other ingredients to let it mix in.)
Vegans will need to replace the goat cheese and honey with acceptable substitutes. There’s a cashew/miso variant that should work, and you can sub out the honey with either maple or agave. Enjoy!
