The first signs of spring are starting to show this week – buds on tree branches, Canadian geese migrating home, squirrels bouncing about, and birds chirping delightfully among the tree tops. It really is a beautiful thing to witness. One stroll through the park and it’s clear that this renewal we feel during spring is common to all walks of life. I just want to soak it all in. On Sunday, we spotted thousands of geese migrating home, all in various v-shape formations across the sky. It was so fascinating to watch, I headed home and read up about Canadian geese online. I must say, they are pretty cool birds (even if I do have to dodge all their poop on walks). Not only do they typically mate for life, but they also tend to come back to the same area every year. Romantic and directionally savvy? Those females have it made!
I’m finally craving salads after a long stretch without giving them much room in my diet over the winter. I just don’t crave salads in the winter no matter how hard I try. My body is now looking for fresh, lighter foods in hopes that the weather will follow suit. This week, it seems to be working…but I won’t hold my breath. We all know how quickly that can change!
I recently started to play around with a new type of miso – Chickpea miso. Oh, it’s good…real good. I’m avoiding soy right now as I try to figure out my recent allergic reaction and chickpea miso is a great alternative (I hear they also make a chickpea tamari too!). This one is pleasant and lightly sweet much like soybean light/white miso varieties. I couldn’t find it anywhere nearby so I ordered it online via Upaya Naturals. Of course, feel free to substitute your favourite miso in this dressing or if you don’t have miso why not play around with making an orange vinaigrette?
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Golden Beet Salad with Shallots, Parsley, and Orange Miso
Yield
4 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This salad is a nice compromise for early spring; it’s not too summery or light, but warm and hearty while still being refreshing. I combined roasted golden beets and caramelized shallots with warm quinoa, fresh parsley, and juicy orange segments all topped with an orange miso dressing. The steps for this recipe are a bit fiddly and there is a long roasting time, but if you find yourself with a lazy weekend morning, it really is a nice salad to pull together for lunch
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3-4 medium golden beets
- 10 small shallots
- 1 cup uncooked rainbow quinoa
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 small seedless navel oranges, segmented and chopped (see note)
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
- handful finely chopped pistachios, for garnish (optional)
For the orange miso dressing (makes 1/3 cup)
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (or olive oil)
- 1-2 tbsp light miso dressing (I used 2 tbsp chickpea miso), to taste
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
- 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp cane sugar (or maple syrup), or to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a piece of parchment paper.
- Trim beet greens, leaving 2-3 inches of the stem on the beet (this prevents the beet from drying out while roasting). Note: If you buy loose beets without stems this is fine too. Use what you can find. Reserve beet greens for sautéing, if desired. Wash beets, but do not peel them.
- Place beets inside the pot. Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll around the beets to coat.
- Soak shallots in a bowl of water for a few minutes. This helps to loosen the skin. Slice both ends off the shallots and then peel all the skin off each. Place a piece of tin foil on the counter (about 1 square foot) and place the shallots on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Rub the shallots to combine. Gather the tin foil at each side and crinkle it upward to seal the top. Place shallots in the pot along with the beets.
- Place lid on pot and roast beets and shallots for about 1 hour at 375°F.
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and place it into a pot along with 1.5 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to low-medium, and cover with tight fitting lid. Simmer for 17-20 minutes covered, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
- Prepare the dressing by processing together all the dressing ingredients. I like to use a mini processor for my dressings because the clean-up is minimal. You could also whisk everything together by hand too.
- After 1 hour, remove pot from the oven to check on things. Remove the shallots and set aside on the counter (keep the tin foil on so they stay warm). Carefully, prick the largest beet with a fork. If it slides easily through, it’s ready. If your fork feels resistance, it needs more time in the oven. I had to cook my beets for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, so don’t be alarmed if it takes you more time.
- Remove beets from oven, remove lid, and allow beets to cool until they can be handled. Trim both ends of the beet and discard. Run water over beets and peel the skin off with your fingers (the skin should slide off fairly easily) and then slice beets into bite-sized pieces for the salad.
- To assemble the salad: Toss together the cooked quinoa, chopped parsley, Herbamare or sea salt, and a couple tablespoons of the dressing. Gently fold in the shallots, segmented oranges, and beets. Drizzle on the rest of the dressing, sprinkle on pistachios (optional), and serve immediately.
Tip:
Note: For how to segment an orange, see this You Tube demo.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Happy, hoppy almost weekend!
This looks great! I have recently discovered quinoa, but I am not very imaginative in how I cook it. I am always on the look out for some inspiration. Thankyou, I am inspired!
Love this recipe of yours! This is perfect for spring, very colorful, consists of different ingredients, and very healthy of course. By the way, love to try that Chickpea Miso! Thanks for posting this, very lovely! Can’t wait to try it.
That salad and that chickpea miso looks fantastic! I think the only soy I have now is in the form of miso or fermented soy sauce, besides that I avoid most soy-containing products. I’ve been toying around with making my own chickpea miso for a while, as I wish I could buy a jar of it here in Australia!
Sorry to hear about your allergic reaction, are you doing an elimination/challenge test at the moment? I hope spring fully arrives for you soon so you can fully indulge in more delicious salads like this one :)
Looks absolutely delicious! Beets, of any color, are one of my favorite foods so I’m always looking for new ways to prepare them – and of course new salad ideas!
Thanks for taking the time to put together this beautiful post.
Hi Angela, I, too know about the soy issue. I went through a time with reactions to certain foods even after I thought I had identified (after a four-year odyssey) and weeded lots of foods, additives, etc. out that were making me feel, well, still not “well”. By happenstance, I stumbled across an article about soy allergies. At first, I didn’t give the idea much credence: “Who’s allergic to that old stand-by, soy?” But the more I read other articles, blog entries, etc., the more I found myself nodding “Yes, yes, that’s me too!” So I cut soy out entirely (even trace amounts). Soy turned out to be the next-to-the-last item I eliminated (the last being casein). And, three years later (and still sixty-five pounds lighter with much better blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.), “stumbling” into a soy allergy has proven to be a wonderful stroke of kismet. I think we need to, sometimes, question even those practices which lots of folks swear by/attest to if those practices just aren’t making us feel “well”. It’s tough to “go against the grain,” particularly if the grain (bad pun intended, sorry!) is touted by everyone as “a miracle”. Ultimately we have to trust ourselves. They’re our bodies, after all. Keep up the great work friend!
I love beets but I don’t think I’ve had golden beets..nor have I had miso..this recipe will be a great way to try both! Absolutely beautiful dish! Happy Friday!!!
Chickpea miso?! YUM! This looks so bright and delicious.
On a different subject, more in line with your introductions to being vegan posts, could you post something (or maybe you have an I’ve missed it) on cooking seitan? I can make it and its tolerable, but nowhere near as delicious as store bought or restaurant made.
Wow. Gorgeous!!! I could live on beets- spring is in the air- er, dish!!!
Ooh chickpea miso! That’s a new one for me!
I love golden beets. They taste so much more… rich (?) to me? I don’t know what is, but the flavor is so different!
Wow! I’ve been looking for a good recipe for a salad with beets. This is perfect! Hoping to make it this weekend!
Wooow!!!! Made me hungry :D Looks delicious!!!!
Oh my, oh my, oh my! This looks amazing! I want some RIGHT now. I, too, think I am dealing with soy allergies (at least that is what I think my issue is) – so I am happy to see non-soy vegan options. THANKS!
What a gorgeous salad! Miso Master has an organic, soy-free chickpea miso. I have seen it Whole Foods! I picked up some miso this week to make a carrot-ginger-miso dressing much like the one here, but orange sounds even better! :)
What a lovely recipe. I love beets and use them everywhere. I had not heard of chick pea miso, but it sounds terrific. Great recipe.
This salad looks really hearty and satisfying. The colors in it are beautiful :)
This looks terrific
I live on salads ands moothies all year round, but LA weather kind of works for that [we don’t have geese formations, we have frequent earthquakes instead omg hahaha]
I’ve been wanting to experiment with making my own vegan salad dressings at home, excited to try the dressing recipe you have here…the pre-made vegan salad dressings I purchase from my local Whole Food are SO high-fat and I feel sure I could make something more healthy and easily at home
And learn something new every day, I had no idea chole miso existed! [Chole is Hindi for garbanzo:p]
Looks wonderful! I am making it this afternoon! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes and inspiration from someone who became a vegetarian (soon vegan), only 2 short months ago! If you have a Whole Foods near you, they sell chickpea miso at a reasonable price. :-)
I just have to say again, thank you thank you thank you! !!
I have been a vegetarian for almost 30 years and have been vegan gluten free for the last couple of months.
Your knowledge and recipes are absolutely amazing! !!
When I’m in the kitchen creating and get stumped or just looking for a new recipe I always say lets go to ohsheglows.com.
I have made a lot of your stuff and its always perfect you have amazing taste and talent.
Thank you for sharing…
Very beautiful, I like all the colours you’ve added to this salad. I have yet to try miso but it’s certainly on my list. Happy Easter!
This salad looks just beautiful, especially those gorgeous caramelised shallots. We are just moving into Autumn now here in Australia so I think this transitional salad will suit our season as well! Now I just have to find some of those golden beets!!