Serious Salads
2013-01-16-roasted-beets-citrus-feta-walnuts.jpg

Roasted beets pair beautifully with citrus, feta and walnuts in this refreshing winter salad. The only tricky part is peeling the beets because they're messy and turn everything pink, so be sure to wear an apron and use a stain-proof cutting board. You can also wear disposable gloves to protect your hands.

Note: When you toss the citrus segments with the beets, they'll turn a pinkish hue. I think it looks pretty but if you'd rather the beets not bleed into the fruit, you can arrange all of the elements of the salad individually.

About the author: Jennifer Segal is the chef behind the popular food blog, Once Upon a Chef.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: serves 4 to 6
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 6 medium beets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 oranges, cut into segments
  • 2 grapefruits, cut into segments
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 3 scallions, finely sliced

Procedures

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wipe or scrub the beets clean, then trim the stems down to one-inch, leaving the "tails" on. Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Wrap the foil around the beets to form a neat packet, then roast directly on a rack in the middle of the oven until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Unwrap the beets and let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets by rubbing the skin under cool running water, then cut into 1/8-inch thin slices.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss beets, citrus, and dressing together in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and Drizzle the juices from the bowl over top. Sprinkle feta, walnuts and scallions over top and serve.