I was at the Riley Park Farmers’ Market on the weekend; I love going to the local farmers’ markets because I know that the produce is fresh and I like the idea of supporting local farmers and businesses. There were lots of fresh vegetables and locally made food products available. I decided to pick up some farm fresh beets, radishes and garlic so that I could make this beautiful beetroot salad. It’s really easy to make and super delicious.
The quickest way to cook beets is to boil them. While the beets are boiling, you can make this simple honey lemon vinaigrette to dress your salad. It pairs perfectly with the sweet and earthy flavour of the beets and the sweet and peppery flavour of the radishes.
To enhance the flavour further, I added some fromage frais (a creamy soft cheese) from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. I found it at Les Amis du Fromage; they have a great assortment of local BC cheese varieties. You could also use any fresh cheese in this recipe like ricotta or burrata. To make this salad extra delicious, I added some orange slices, fresh herbs (basil and dill) and some roasted pistachios pieces for some crunch. This salad is divine. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Enjoy!
Beet salad
- 6 medium-sized beets
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 medium orange, sliced
- 1/3 cup fromage frais (see note)
- 1/2 cup lemon vinaigrette (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted pistachios
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
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Cut off the beet root greens.
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Put the beets in the boiling water. Boil the beets until they are fork tender, approximately 30 minutes.
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Remove the cooked beets with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. Allow them to cool for a few minutes.
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Cut the radishes into thin slices and set aside.
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Cut the orange into small slices and set aside.
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To keep things tidy, peel the beets in the sink with a paring knife. Be sure to wipe up any beet juice residue right away so it doesn't stain your countertops.
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Cut the beets into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a serving plate.
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Add the radish slices.
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Add little dollops of the fresh cheese to the salad.
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Add the orange slices.
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Drizzle the vinaigrette on top.
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Add the fresh herbs and pistachio pieces.
Cheese alternatives:
I used a fromage frais (fresh soft cheese) from Qualicum Cheeseworks, but you could also use ricotta, burrata, bocconcini, feta or goat cheese.
lemon salad dressing
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and zest (half lemon)
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 grated clove of garlic (optional)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
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In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, honey, garlic and salt.
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Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Whisk until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake until everything is combined.
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Makes about 1/2 cup. Keeps in the refrigerator for a week.