Golden Beet Salad

I have probably eaten more salads in the past few months than I have eaten in the past few years. We eat A LOT of salads. We’ve had a few misses, but for the most part, we’ve tried a ton of great salads. There are two recipes from The Conscious Cleanse book that Evan and I both agree are amazing: Italian Chopped and Niçoise. We try not to eat these every week, but it’s very tempting!

My favorite salad from the cleanse cookbook is the Golden Beet Salad. First of all, I love beets. Yum! Second, the dressing/marinade for this salad is wonderful. It’s tangy from red wine vinegar, which perfectly complements the sweetness of the beets. Last, but not least? It’s served over a bed of my favorite greens, delicious, bitter, arugula. Is your mouth watering yet?!?

This recipe will make 2 lunch sized salads, or 4-6 side salad servings. You will need: golden beets, olive oil, chopped walnuts, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, chickpeas, salt, fresh ground pepper, a shallot, and arugula.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the beets, remove the ends, and peel them. Chop each beet into bite sized pieces, approximately 3/4″ x 3/4″.

Place the beets in a 10″ x 13″ baking dish, then drizzle them with a bit of olive oil.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until tender.

While the beets are baking, add 1/2 cup walnuts, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1/4 cup chickpeas to a food processor or blender. Blend until puréed.

Thinly slice one shallot.

Once the beets have cooked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. When room temperature, place them in a bowl and toss them with salt and pepper.

Place the dressing in a medium salad bowl along with the sliced shallot.

Add the beets, gently stirring to combine.

Marinate the beets in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight before serving over a bed of 4 cups arugula. Top with remaining 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Enjoy!

Paleo, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian, Side Dishes