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 looks so delicious!
I love the idea of a creamy avocado lime dressing. Yum! And I love beets, I just keep forgetting to use them in salads. But whenever I get a fresh juice I have beets thrown in there – so yummy and SO good for cleansing your blood and liver!
I’m a beet fan but the hubby is not. This might be something that could convert him especially if I dose the salad in the dressing. I’m determined to make him like beets! :)
Yes, these salade/dressing dit it…… made my husband eat avocados. ;-) And he loved it…. not only he dit…. the whole family dit. Thanks for these recipe…. perfect for the last winterweeks looking forward for the spring.
Hi Angela, I noticed you used “blanced beet greens” as part of the salad. Were these the greens from the beets you roasted? If so, that is great. How did you do it? I always hate throwing out the greens from beets, carrots, etc, but I never know how to prepare them!
Sorry I didn’t elaborate…I thought my post was getting long! haha. I just brought a pot of salted water to a boil, added in the chopped & destemed greens, and boiled for a minute or two. Then carefully remove and run cold water on top until cool (or some ppl like to put in an ice bath). it just tenderizes the beet greens a bit..i find them very tough at times.
Perfect, thank you! By the way, I love all of your recipes that I’ve tried. Can’t wait for your cookbook.
Thank you Hilary! Enjoy the salad :)
Yum this sounds good! I just “discovered” golden beets last summer and am loving those too. I don’t know about my favourite way to prepare beets but I know my least favourite way: Last year I decided to make my own coloured lip gloss using a variety of things including coconut oil and beet juice. Well I ended up spilling the beet juice on my laptop and even after I cleaned everything up best I could, whenever I hit a key beet juice would ooze up. luckily my computer was ok, but the lip gloss definitely did not work out haha
That is so funny because yesterday I was just thinking about trying to make a lipgloss out of beet juice and coconut oil…no joke!! So it was a huge fail? Thanks for saving me another flop…heh
Ya mine was a disaster, but pretty much everything that day was a disaster haha, so I’d be willing to try the lip gloss again. I’ve looked up quite a few “recipes” online and most seems to call for beeswax or petroleum, but if you ever find an alternative way to do it I hope you post it on the blog :)
Ooh, I love beets! I like to cook the beets and grate them. After that I add some vinegar and some clove powder. Some add a bit of sugar, but think it doesn’t need it.
so very tasty! ANd I love the colour contrast between the red and golden beets :)
I just love how fresh your food always looks! Another amazing meal creation :)
I was always the weird kid who like pickled red beets & prunes. Now my favorite way to enjoy beets is roasted like you would potato wedges. They’re like beet fries!
way to brighten up these winter days you have up there. :) I love beets, especially GOLDEN and especially ROASTED. So good for you, so tasty, and so beautiful too. :)
Have a great day!
ps. I finally got to see the HEADER! Well done!!!
Glad you can see it :)
This looks so delicious! I’d love to make it soon, but I wouldn’t know what to do with the rest of the can of coconut cream. Any suggestions?
Good question! Here are my recipes using coconut milk: http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/?search_term=coconut%20milk&ui=133
I love to juice beets, so good!! They tend to take over any other flavors in the juice, but they’re really good with ginger. :-) I also made a shredded beet and potato cake sauteed on the stove which was crunchy and delicious.
I tried dehydrating “beet chips” last night and they were absolutely disgusting…tasted like raw, chewy, starchy beets. Not sure what I did wrong, I may have to try them in the oven next time. Eew.
Roasted beets are the best! I love them in spinach salads with pear, dried figs, and toasted almonds.
Also that dressing looks phenomenal! I never really put too much thought into my dressings, but this one looks like it’s the star of the show!
I tried beets only once and I hated them! I can’t get past the smell, but maybe the citrus is just what I need to cut the “beety taste”
My Grandma used to can beets, so I’ve only had them pickled.
I’ll have to buy some at the store this week so I can roast them! Sounds delicious!
Those golden beets look amazing. They are so easy to grow from seed too – are you planning some for your garden this year? Golden beets and their greens are one of my favourite things to come out of mine last summer!
Oh hot damn, this salad looks tasty! I’ve never had golden beets before. In fact, I don’t think I’ve even seen them in the grocery store before. Do they taste just like the red ones? I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. I especially like the sound of the dressing. I could probably eat that stuff with a spoon!
I would say their taste is more mild
I love beets and used to help my Mom make homemade pickled beets which we would can. I also like Borscht Thanks for the recipe – will give it a try
I absolutely can’t get enough of beets!!! I guess you just can’t “beet” perfection ;)
Drool! I love beets, and that dressing sounds amazing!!
ummmm…yes, yes, yes!!!! I have to make this asap. aahhhh! Geez…how is everything you make so amazing!? I had those crispy tofu nuggets of yours for lunch today, and a chocolate chip cookie dough “blizzard” after my run. mmmmm…so glad I found your blog.
hah glad you are enjoying the recipes!
I love beets! That lead picture is so beautiful, it makes me want to run out and get some beets for roasting right now. Thanks for the recipe!
Beautiful! It’s a great idea to bake beets. I always boil them, but it’s just so much healthier to bake!
I prepare a similar salad using beets, oranges and the beet greens http://everydayvegangirl.blogspot.com/2012/02/roasted-beet-and-orange-quinoa-salad.html
I love the combo of beets and citrus…isn’t it the best?!?! I like how you used both the golden and red beets….great contrast in colors!
I want to try a golden beat, I heard they taste way better than the purple. I tried and tired and I don’t like the purple, but I’m wondering if I’d like them roasted? Anyway, your salad looks beautiful and colorful!!
I love beets!! I don’t have them enough..this is a great way to get in a lot!! :)
I found out about it from The Vegan Woman facebook page. The judges are
Lindsay Nixon – Happy Herbivore, Mark Reinfeld – Vegan Fusion
and Natalie Cunningham – The Vegan Woman representative
Winners WILL BE AWARDED WITH THE “RECOMMENDED BY THE VEGAN WOMAN” BADGE
:D
Love the dressing idea! I’ve been on an Avocado Tahini dressing kick, but lime is an awesome idea!
Also, I loved your last post – the finish line bit was hilarious. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made a smoothie with beets, pineapple and water. You don’t even have to cook them. It’s such a lovely pink colour when it’s done too.
Ahhh, I haven’t made beets in so long and now I just virtually ate one from your page hahahah. So picking some beets up this weekend (aka: grocery shopping day on Sunday). I think I have the same mini-processor as you and it is THE BOMB! I absolutely love it. Besides making this dressing this weekend, I might also use it for icing for a liiiiiiiitle mini-chocolate cake treat to myself ;)
Aren’t you loving the weather today?!? I’m walking around U of G campus with my winter coat in my hands versus on my body! Glorious!
I just made this last night and it was delish. My 1-year old gobbled it up! I subbed almond milk (a little less than recipe) for coconut cream and maple syrup for agave. Definitely going to make this again!
I’ll bet you cannot WAIT for summer so that you can begin growing your own awesome items :)
I love beets! This looks fantastic. I always roast them and toss with arugula, oranges, dry roasted walnuts and a squeeze of lemon. Something about the pepperiness (made up word, ha) of the arugula with it…now I’m hungry!!!
Ooh yum, that’s one heck of a unique and beautiful looking salad, I’m literally salivating as I type and there’s nothing like a new salad recipe to get me excited, they can so easily get old and tired, thank you!
Yay, a new salad dressing recipe! Just so you know, I’ve made lightened-up lemon tahini dressing not once, not twice, but three times in the last 3 weeks! Needless to say I’m obsessed. But next time I’m at the store I’ll have to purchase the ingredients to try this one out. The salad itself looks lovely too. I had a beet and citrus salad from Whole Foods a while back and I loved the combination of flavors.
Glad you enjoy it Kate :)
I am so loving your new header! This looks like a great, refreshing recipe.
Thank you for this! I’ve been avoiding beets because I wasn’t sure how to roast/cook, etc. I hope to avoid red fingers.
You had me at “beet” and “avocado”…I love them both and together they’re heaven!
my mom’s way and now how i do it is by putting them in boiling water for a few minutes and just as you said, the skin peels of by rubbing, then we slice them and place them on a platter forming a flower, pour some balsamic vinegar, olive oil on them, add some salt and pepper to taste…so delicious that even my children love them…loving your blog
That sounds incredible, I will have to try them that way!
Roasted beets is definately the way to go! I love mine drizzled with a yogurt-dill dressing – beets and dill are a match made in heaven. Your Clean Eating Beet, Carrot Apple Salad is a close second however, I’ve already made it three times in the last 2 months!
I never made beets because of the mess. Once I had a white bunny and feed her a red beet. Well the poor thing had a pink face for weeks!! ( I know that didn’t bother her but it looked really funny). Because of that experience I always used the canned version;)
But after this lovely pics I give it a second chance…
What a gorgeous salad! It seems like we all love beets! This year for valentine’s day I spent a little extra time after I roasted and peeled the beets. I carved them into hearts and I made my husband a special “Heart Beet Salad.” It really turned out so lovely! Nothing like passionate, dark red hearts to say I Love You! Check it out! http://wp.me/p1iZrA-k0 Your site is lovely, and full of great information. Thanks for all the work that you do!
That’s a cute idea!
That dressing sounds divine! Can’t wait to make this
1st time preparing beets, thanks to you Angela, with the roasting tips and this beautiful beet salad recipe! Never thought I would really enjoy all the ingredients in one salad – it was magnifique! You are Master Angela after all! Thank you for sharing and still can’t get over the dressing – perfection!
So glad that you liked it Mara!
made this today! Seriously SOOOO GOOD!!!! I love beets!
Beautiful! I cant wait til my local farmstand has beets.
Hey Angela, want to let you know I came across your blog a few weeks ago and i LOVE it! It seems like we enjoy all the same type of ingredients. I just made your frosty no bake chocolate cookies and one of your pasta dishes, YUMMY!
Lots of love from Norway xxx
Thanks Astrid!
Thanks for this salad! We have citrus and avocados on the ranch. I see beautiful beets at farmers’ markets all the time, so now I’ll be buying some. Great idea to roast them and have on hand for salads! I love beets, but my husband won’t eat them. That’s okay: more for me! Shared a link to your recipe on Facebook/Avocados.Direct today!
Thank you so much for sharing your tips on how to roast beets. I’ve never done this myself, but would love to give it a try. Your beet salad is absolutely beautiful! :)