Salt-Roasted Beet Salad with Greens

Recipe PREP 15 min COOK 1 hour

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Salt-Roasted Beet Salad with Greens

PREP 15 min COOK 1 hour

Description

Salt-roasting beets lets them steam in their skins, preserving flavor and color. Beets are rich in folate, which supports healthy blood vessels, and studies show they can help lower high blood pressure. Their fiber promotes gut health and aids liver detoxification. For athletes, beet nitrates may enhance performance, making this simple cooking method both delicious and nutritious.

NOTE

The technique will work beautifully with other roots such as potatoes and turnips.

Note: Even though this roasting method calls for a lot of salt, don’t worry — you can save and reuse it five or more times.

Ingredients

4 SERVES

Coarse salt for roasting (you’ll need several cups to cover the beets)
8 golf ball-sized Chioggia (candy cane) beets, greens and roots removed
2 cups (75 g) thinly sliced beet greens (de-stemmed if needed)
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice, divided
Salt to taste
2 pearl onions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup [25 g])
Knob of horseradish, peeled

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 400˚F/200˚C. In a baking dish just large enough to hold all the beets in a single layer without them touching, pour a layer of salt about ½” deep. Arrange the beets in the dish, pushing them gently into the salt, and cover them with more salt. You want them fully buried. Cover the pan with foil.
Step 2

Roast the beets until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour, then remove them from the salt and let them cool until you can slip the skins off, exposing the brilliant jewels within. Slice them thinly, preferably with a mandolin (but a sharp knife works). Divide the sliced beets between 4 plates and set aside.
Step 3

Toss the beet greens in a large bowl with half of the oil and half of the lemon juice. Add salt to taste. If the greens are tough, massage them a bit. Place the greens in the center of each plate with the sliced beets, top with the pearl onions, and drizzle on the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the oil and 2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice. Grate the horseradish on top. Serve immediately.

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About the author

Amanda Cohen

Amanda Cohen is a James Beard-nominated chef and cookbook author. She has two vegetarian restaurants in downtown New York City, Dirt Candy and Lekka Burger. She grew up in Canada.

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