Citrus Beet Salad

If you are looking for a way to throw something new into your salad rotation, look no further than easy beet salad recipe.

Beets are a unique and earthy root vegetable with many health benefits, including richness in antioxidants.

What makes beets such a special treat?

The combined earthiness and sweetness of the beet can be intimidating to make, especially for that friend that “doesn’t really like beets,” but this recipe has some qualities that I think brings out the best in beets. The most notable counterpart to the beet is the grapefruit. The recipe doesn’t call for much, but when you get a forkful from the dish with a small piece of the pink citrus fruit, the sour taste offsets the sweet beet.

This recipe originally called to roast the beets, a tried and true method that can never fail.

However, if you have an air fryer, that’s an even easier way to get your beets crispy and cuts the cooking time in half. 25 minutes in the air fryer at 390 degrees (that’s as hot as mine gets) will get the beets soft enough to enjoy but still leave you with a nice crunchy texture to bite into.

This dish also incorporates a few flavors that, while rich on their own, end up coming out only subtly in the Dijon mustard and honey.

The last important decision to make is regarding which cheese to use. Feta or goat cheese are perfect but if you have gorgonzola it has the same effect and makes for the perfect finishing move to put this meal over the top.

Citrus Beet Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 medium beets, air-fried and chopped (will make a note on how make them roasted and chopped too)

Endive leaves from 1 endive or 2 cups arugula

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon honey

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/4-1/2 cup soft cheese, crumbled (feta, goat cheese, or gorgonzola)

1/4 pink grapefruit, chopped (you can add up to 1/2 if you really love your grapefruit)

Directions:

1. Chop the beets into 8ths and put the in the air fryer at 390 degrees F for 25 minutes. (See note about roasting below).

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the dressing with a whisk. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

3. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss everything to coat with the dressing.

4. Place in endive OR toss with arugula. Whichever you prefer.

NOTE: Roast the beets at 400 degrees F on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender.