Orange You Glad You Said Beet Salad

It all started Friday when I picked a dear friend up from her trip. She was just getting back from California and was telling me about running on the beach and eating this delicious golden beet salad. Yep it’s cold here, it just snowed but I wasn’t jealous of the beach, it was the salad! I went home dreaming of beet salad and we usually have beets in the house but didn’t. Saturday comes and I run over to Whole Foods because the 10 Cara Cara Oranges I picked up on Thursday were almost gone, 1 left, and I wanted to stock back up while they were still on sale. While I was there pick up “the best oranges ever” according to my oldest daughter, which I can’t argue with they are darn good oranges, I picked up some golden beets. Beets for my and that dear friend as we were going to her house for dinner. Isn’t that what every friend brings their friend for dinner when they come GOLD beets and kombucha? Kombucha because she hasn’t had it before and I thought she would love it as much as I do so I picked up 6 bottles to try. So come to last night, Sunday, beet salad for dinner! I realized as I was making it I was going to some of my favorite beet salads and I wanted it to be different. Sometimes even things that are almost the same but slightly different really turn out to be different. Already almost finished I got more ideas in my head so probably a lot more beet salads coming this week because my husband loved it, I really didn’t question if he would because we love beet salads but I think we are back in a phase, a beet salad phase. Do you go though food phases? I do all the time. I will do lots of certain flavors or types of dishes for a week or two, or sometimes longer, and then go to the next but still keeping those in rotation. So maybe when a fruit or veggie is in season use it heavily. Or have oatmeal every morning for breakfast for a week or two, then pancakes, and then a week or two of different things, then to another phase.

So back to the salad! Bear with me as the hardest thing was the name and my husband and I were feeling a little goofy and came up with Orange You Glad You Said Beet Salad instead of a long, descriptive, kind of boring… Orange, Beet, Fresh Goat Cheese, Pecan, Arugula Salad. That basically describes the salad, a delicious blend of ripe oranges (used the Cara Caras we can’t get enough of right now), roasted beets (golden beets, traditional, or a mix), fresh goat cheese (I crumbled it but you can slice it), chopped pecans, and organic baby arugula. The salad is already an explosion of flavors that come together perfectly and doesn’t really need a dressing but I also put the recipes for the two we like with beet salads that both went so well we couldn’t pick one. Sorry this isn’t the Oscars (which is on while I type) so I don’t have to pick a winner, for the dressing, the salad already wins tonight! This salad makes a very filling main dish and if extra protein is needed you can serve with chicken, fish, or tofu.

Are you a beet salad fan? What would your Oscar winning beet salad look like?

Orange You Glad You Said Beet Salad
Makes 4 servings
2 large ripe oranges, peeled, and segments cut into halves or thirds (used Cara Cara Oranges)
10oz baby arugula
4c chopped or sliced roasted golden beets, or beets of choice
1/2c chopped pecans
6oz fresh goat cheese
dressing, optional see below

Simple Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP fresh orange juice
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
sea salt and pepper to taste

Orange Dejon Vinaigrette
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP Dejon mustard
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP orange juice
sea salt and pepper to taste

To make either of the dressings place everything together in a jar or container with a lid and shake until combine. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use and shake well before using. Use within a few days to a week.

If your beets are not yet roasted wash beets and remove tops if they are still attached. Preheat oven to 375F. Wrap beets in a foil pouch and place on a baking sheet. Bake until fork tender, it will depend on the size of your beets. I usually start checking at 25 minutes for smaller beets it can take an hour for larger beets. Let cool and remove skin, you should be able to just rub them off.

Assemble salad as desired plating arugula and topping with sliced or chopped beets, chopped orange segments, fresh goat cheese sliced or crumbed with your hands, sprinkled with chopped pecans, and drizzled with optional dressing. You can also toss your arugula with vinaigrette, start with a little you can always add more we don’t use the whole vinaigrette recipe from above for 4 salads. Then plate and top or toss with beets, oranges, goat cheese, and pecans. Enjoy!