I’m a recent beet fan, however I can’t say I’ve made much time to cook with them. They just always seem like such a pain in the butt to prepare and cook, don’t they? The peeling, the red stains, the roots, the dirt. Bah. I used to pass them by for easier-to-prepare vegetables, even though I absolutely love cooked beets.
A while back, some of you suggested an easier way to prepare beets that has forever changed the way I look at them! I thought I would share that today, although I’m sure many of you know this little trick already…
I used to peel beets before roasting until some of you told me to do the opposite. Little did I know, after the beets are roasted, the skin just slips off when you rub it with your fingers! No peeler required.
Roasting beets:
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Trim the beets on each end, wash, and place on large sheet of tin foil.
- Drizzle with oil and then wrap up the tin foil
- Roast for about 45-75 minutes (depending on size of beets), checking every 15 minutes after the first 30 minutes or so.
- To check for doneness, just prick beets with a fork. If it slides in fairly easy, it’s ready
- With oven mitts on (it’s hot), unwrap the foil and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes before handling
- With bare hands or with plastic gloves, gently peel off the skin with your fingers (I do this over the sink). You may want to trim the ends a bit more too. Some parts of the skin will come off a bit easier than others, but not to worry as it doesn’t have to look perfect.
After peeling the skin, slice into wedges and you’re good to go!
It’s such a simple change in method, but for some reason it made the world of difference to me. I now roast beets once or twice a month…instead of…never. I like to roast at least 5 beets at a time so I have plenty of leftovers to throw into salads during the week. Like this glorious salad…
Citrus Beet Salad with Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing
Yield
4 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
According to World’s Healthiest Foods, beets are anti-inflammatory, rich in antioxidants, support detoxification, and are high in folate, manganese, fibre, potassium, vitamin C, iron, and more. A handful of reasons to dig in! Feel free to add nuts, seeds, grains, etc if you wish. I also suggest using a grapefruit on the sweeter side (such as a Ruby) or just leave out the grapefruit if you prefer
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 medium/large red beets
- 3 medium/large golden beets
- 2 navel oranges (or any variety)
- 1 grapefruit (Ruby suggested), optional
- Greens of choice (I used a mix of baby romaine and blanched beet greens)
- Avocado Lime Dressing
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup avocado flesh
- 1/4 cup coconut cream (the cream from the top of the can)
- 5 tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 1 tbsp agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp grapefruit juice (optional)
- tiny pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Trim both ends of each beet and wash well. Place a few beets on a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle with oil and wrap up. Do the same for the other 3 beets on another sheet of foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45-75 minutes, until a fork pricks through fairly easy. Check beets after 30 mins of roasting, and every 15 minutes thereafter. Cooking time will depend on the size…mine took 60-75 minutes.
- With oven mitts on, carefully open the tin foil and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Now peel off the skin and discard. Slice beets into wedges.
- While the beets roast, prepare the citrus. De-pith and slice into segments (as shown in post). Set aside. Reserve the scraps of juicy flesh as you can use this to squeeze into your dressing.
- Blend the dressing ingredients together in a processor. I used my mini processor and it worked well. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more sweetener, juice, or salt if desired.
- To assemble, add greens (I used a mix of blanched beet greens and baby romaine), followed by the beets and citrus segments, top with nuts, seeds, and/or cooked grains, and finally the dressing.
Tip:
Dressing makes 2/3 cup
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Here’s something I hadn’t done before…segment a citrus fruit. It’s actually much easier than I thought it was, thanks to a little help from The Kitchn.
How to de-pith and segment citrus fruit
- Chop off both ends of the citrus
- With a paring knife, carefully slice off the peel, rotating your way around the fruit
- Gently slice off any remaining pith (the white spongy part)
- Slice the segments of the orange, being sure to slice around the thicker skin- you just want the juicy insides.
For the dressing, I used my mini processor (that came with my immersion blender)…it worked perfectly and I didn’t have to dirty my big food processor. I use that mini processor so much these days.
To build the salad, start with a bed of greens (I used a mix of baby romaine and blanched beet greens), then layer beets and fruit. Finally, pour on the dressing. Feel free to add on nuts, seeds (hemp seeds are yummy), and cooked grains if you wish.
A delicious, energizing salad when you’re feeling in a spring clean mood.
If you roast the beets ahead of time, this salad won’t set you back more than 20 minutes and you can enjoy the healthful benefits of beets all week long.
Now who is ready for spring? It’s supposed to be 11C and sunny here tomorrow…bring it!
What’s your favourite way to prepare beets?
That’s it, I’m making beets. I have always been deathly afraid of them for some reason but I’ve tried other root veggies over the past year and have actually liked them. So I think beets are my final frontier! :-)
Show those beets who is boss!! heh
I love beets, but agree the time consuming peeling and red stained fingers are a drag. Today I roasted my beets (yes, I peeled them first (but will try it next time unpeeled), sliced them, cut them in half, and covered them sparingly with sea salt and olive oil. Roasted 425 for 15 minutes. They were so delicious my husband and I ate them all before I had a chance to put them on a salad….yum, yum, yum..
Beets are the one vegetable I just can’t wrap my head around and have never had a taste for them, but this salad makes them look so appetizing! I just might have to give it a try!
Wow, the picture of the beets after you roasted and sliced them into wedges is so pretty! I can practically see the nutrients seeping out :) Thanks for the roasting technique.
I am obsessed with beets, especially in my morning juice, but for some reason I have never roasted them! I am excited to try! I am going to use blood oranges instead of the navel, Yum Yum!
Roasted beets are the bomb. I usually “save” my beets for juicing also, but roasting is a whole new world of tastes. Anxious to hear how you like it.
i’ve never been a big beet fan but i am DYING to make this dressing! it just sounds so fresh and clean!
yea it is…enjoy!
This salad looks lovely. I made a spinach salad with beets on top recently, but also had to overcome my reluctance to work with beets. I love them, but I too am afraid of the mess! My seven-year-old daughter won’t eat them at all because she is afraid of the colour showing up in her you-know-what! It happened once and she gave up beets after that. :)
hah..yea that is a bit scary at first even for adults!
Ooh I LOVE the sound of the flavours in this!! I am also only a recent beet fan, and made a citrus beet salad last year which I haven’t added to my Recipage yet because it needs a better photo! My favourite way to eat them is just like you – on salads! But roasting first is key. I’ve learned that the bonus of no peeling is far less mess (and fewer tops stained!)
Seriously?! This is life changing! I avoid beets for the same reason and it’s a shame b/c I love them. This.is.awesome.
Your recipe looks delicious! I love roasted beets, especially on salad, but I never drizzle mine in olive oil — I just wrap in tinfoil and they’re good to go. My 3-year-old and I devour them every time I make them.
Thanks for the tip! I love roasted beets, but you are right…the messy peeling process is a pain in the butt! Lately, I have been tossing roasted beets in a simple dijon mustard vinegarette- dijon, evoo, and lemon juice….yum!
I’ll have to try that with some leftovers…sounds good!
The one and only time I bought beets was last summer, and I simply peeled them and ate them raw in a salad. I didn’t even think to cook them! Are they better cooked?
I enjoy them raw and cooked…I’ve made a raw beet salad before. When it’s cold out, I love them cooked though.
this is such a cool recipe! I’ve never thought of putting citrus and beets together! Yum :D
I’ve only ever juiced beets with some other fruits and veggies, but I’m so scared of eating them. Guess I’ll have to give it a try now!
Juicing is what got me hooked on beets…and what gave and the courage to try them in solid form…baby steps, right?
I am drooling over this. Everything about it, I love!
I love beets, but like, you I tend not to cook them because of all of the prep work. I’m definitely going to give this method a try!
I also really like raw beets in fresh juices – the color is gorgeous!
Thats my preferred method too! I also throw a whole garlic clove into the tin foil with them to give it a little punch of flavor. I haven’t made them in ages though, must change that. And don’t throw out the beet greens, they are so good for you!!
I love the garlic tip!
I absolutely love beets – raw or cooked – and I can’t wait to make this salad! This is even worthy of a stop at Whole Foods on my way home from work today!
BEA-utiful…I love beets and this salad looks sooo awesome! I can only get fresh golden beets in my small AB town/area for a very short period in the Fall(this year I think I will have to buy extra to freeze). Can’t wait to try this colourful recipe…thx
Oooo I love beets and even more so on a salad!! LOVE!! I enjoy them roasted the best, but it would take forever always, so I’m trying the tin foil!!
xxoo
Thanks for the beet tip! I love beets, but often buy canned (and rinse them like crazy to get the salt off) because peeling them is a pain. I will try this!
I recently began eating beet too1 Have you tried them raw? They are really good in a wrap. funny – I basically made this salad in smoothie-form on Valentine’s Day (sans dressing, of course). I can’t wait to try a salad version! :)
Will the dressing keep well if made a day ahead? I’d like to take it to a diner party this weekend!
I think it will keep for a day in advance because of the lime juice…I’d think would preserve it. But im not entirely sure…
Great tip wrt to roasting the beets unpeeled! I hate peeling them but otherwise adore beets. My recent soup is probably my favourite: an Iraqi split pea soup with beets and pomegranate!
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/iraqi-pomegranate-stew-shorbat-rumman/
Yum! I love beets – I mean, love. I’ve roasted them a few times, and like the ease and flavor, but most often I boil them because it’s so much faster (maybe 20-30 minutes depending on the size). Then I peal them after boiling.
However you make them, though, they are so good. Salads are definitely one of my favorite uses for them, and this looks incredible. Especially with that avocado dressing – thanks for sharing!
Angela!!!! I just recommended you for the vegan woman favorite blog contest. They are making a compilation of the top blogs for everyone to read about! I hope yours makes it, because it is my favorite :)
Thanks! who is running it?
This looks absolutely delicious! Hmmm. I need to find some yellow beets I think.
When I lived in Australia, they would put beets on burgers. It was an interesting combination but actually really lovely.
I’ve heard of that before….should try it sometime!
I definitely love them raw and shred about 4 large ones per week, in the food processor. They add wonderful color and taste to all my daily salads, to the point that I am now a shredded beetaholic!
I love them shredded raw too.
I used to hate beets (i.e the taste), but then I roasted them & discovered that they taste wonderful roasted and are so easy to peel/prep that way. This looks like a great way to use them! I have yet to have the pleasure of cooking with golden beets; I look forward to trying.
Oh the golden beets are so nice!
This literally looks like the BEST salad I’ve ever seen!! I LOVE beets and avocados so this combo looks almost too good to be true. You’re a recipe genius-that’s all there is to it! Thanks for another amazing recipe!!
I am craving beets now!! I love them with goat cheese…what a great combination. Thanks for showing me that preparing them isn’t as intimidating as I thought.
I love, love, love beets, and this salad looks wonderful!
You have encouraged me to try beets! Everyone in my family loves beets, except me. I think that this might be a good toe-in-water scenario. Yum!
That looks fantastic! I made a similar one at Christmas but with a very different dressing. And I prefer golden beets to red, but they are harder to find.
And GREAT JOB on your 5K!
Thanks Beth!
I agree golden beets are hard to find…I can only find them at Whole Foods usually.
The recipe looks so good, Angela! Thanks for the tutorials. I shied away from cooking beets for that reason as well. I must ask you: Where did you get the little blue dressing holder? I need something like that, but I’m not sure what it’s called. Thanks!
Good question! I think it was from a dishware store in NYC Fish’s Eddy
Beets are awesome! Especially in the summer/fall, fresh out of the garden. My grandma and mom always grew them growing up. They always just boiled them, peeled them, and then sliced them thinly and fried them up with some butter (you could use earth balance) and lots of S&P. Delish! That’s still my favourite way to eat beets.
Thanks for the new recipe! I think roasting them with some kind of orange juice would be tasty, too. I’ve seen a few recipes for beets with orange glaze; it’s usually for a warm veggie side dish. Still have yet to try it tho…
What a beautiful salad! I used to get a ton of beets when I did a CSA 2 years ago. I would dread getting them because of all the peeling. I said something to the farmer, and he was like “just boil them!” So from here on out, I boil them and the skin comes right off!
I think roasted beets are my favorite way to prepare them- but to be honest, I haven’t explored many other methods.
I buy beet powder and add water to marinate tofu for ruebens sometimes- that is awesome.
Oh- and I just noticed that you put the new header up!! It’s SO pretty!!!
You can buy beet powder?! Crazy…I didn’t know that.
Glad you like the header. I liked it at first but I’m already growing tired of it. haha
whoops, I meant to say, I will try boiling them next time!!
mmmmm my local food co-op makes a kale and golden beet salad that is insanely good with a dressing that is to die for. They will give you the recipe, but it is so huge and I’ve yet to try scaling it down at home. It is so good, vinegary, tahini, crunchy, sweet. Oh my. This salad looks like a pretty good alternative to my beloved co-op salad.
How funny, right after I commented I googled my salad to see what was out there….this is it and it is scaled down! You should try it, I think you’d love it like I do! http://mountainviewmarket.coop/content/golden-beet-and-kale-salad Have a great day!
Thanks I will check it out!
Your directions are so clear and your photos are always so stunning. You are a natural author. My mother and I have created our own ‘book’ of your recipes. We always say, “Did you go to Oh She Glows today?” What has she made next…..we can’t wait!!!!
Hi Cheryl, That makes me smile from ear to ear. thank you so much!
Roasted beets are some of my fave things, ever. Never even knew I loved beets until about 8-9 years ago and in my first CSA box in San Diego, I got tons of beets and was like, WHAT am I going to do with these things. Little did I know that when you roast them, they turn into nature’s candy, all caramelized and wonderful. Love them.
And the pics are so beautiful. Love them raw; that rustic, earthy quality is gorgeous to look at.
Beets are one of my ab. fav’s!!! Thanks for the new dressing recipe, I’ve been going crazy trying to find something I think I’ll like, & I’m pretty sure I’m going to love this one!!!
T
Beets in spinach salad with (unfortunately for you ange) Blue cheese/Goats cheese, candied walnuts and a nice citrus vinaigrette! yum
Oh my, I looooove beets and used to make them so often! But the past year I’ve been slacking there too…haha. This sounds delicious! I’ve never roasted them, but I either steam them or boil them and the skin also peels right off! Then, I let it cool down and just sprinkle a liiiiil bit of salt+ lemon juice/vinegar, and it’s seriously the tastiest thing ever.
I just can’t get into beets.. They taste like the ground. The dressing on the other hand.. will be trying that one shortly!
This looks delicious! Roasted beets are a favorite of mine! Thanks for sharing!
That looks great! I am especially liking the sound of that dressing.
I love beets! I think I forgot about them for a while there, thank you for posting this. I will definitely make something like this for lunch tomorrow. Yum!
RAW! with walnuts and raisins in a salad. Or blended up in a smoothie.
I LOVE ROASTED BEETS! The best way to eat em is roasted for sure! SO DELICIOUS!!
This looks SO delicious! I love beets and avocado so this salad sounds like a huge winner. My brother hasn’t liked the taste of beets but I wonder if he’ll like it if I prepare it your way :)
Beets and squash are my two fave vegetables! I just bought a new bag of beets today, so I will be sure to add this recipe to the list of ones to make after I roast some this week. Hope you are enjoying them!