Imagine, if you will a caprese salad. Caprese is the simplest of fresh summer salads with robust red tomatoes, creamy buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, a drizzling of balsamic and olive oil. The salad balances flavours perfectly between the sweet tomatoes, acidic balsamic, and creamy cheese.
This salad is a twist. In place of the fresh tomato slices, fresh sweet beets are simply roasted and then chopped. Rather than buffalo mozzarella, creamy goat cheese is crumbled throughout the salad mixing with all the lettuce. The lettuce helps add balance as the beets are so much sweeter than the calm tomatoes. For dressing, first the balsamic is reduced to concentrate it’s flavours and then poured over the salad which is tossed with fresh basil.
(serves 2)
3 medium beets
6 cups torn red leaf lettuce
50g crumbled goat cheese
A big handful of fresh basil leaves
Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons balsamic reduction *
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat your oven to 350F. Trim the ends off the beets and give them a good rinse. Wrap in tin foil and roast in the oven for 60 minutes or until soft. Remove and allow to coo enough to handle. Using your fingers peel away and discard skin. Slice into 1/4″ slices and set aside.
Place lettuce in a bow topped and toss with beets and goat cheese. Make the dressing by whisking together balsamic with a good pinch of salt and pepper and low adding olive oil. Taste and correct for seasoning.
Right before you serve chiiffonade and toss the basil with the salad. Toss with dressing.
*Note: to make a balsamic reduction, it is simply as easy as simmering balsamic in a heavy bottomed pan until reduced by half. Let cool and it should thicken and become quite syrupy.
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Grilled Pear, Goat Cheese and Dandelion Greens Salad
Grilled Fennel with Balsamic
Candied Pecan and Strawberry, Green Salad
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Great flavor choices! I am a huge beet fan!
mmm… miam miam !!! This salad has almost all my summer favorits ! and I love balsamic reduction….. so easy, yet so tasty.
Great choices
i’ve had beets only a handful of times because i’m so uncreative with ways to cook/prepare it. this looks like something that i’m going to love
I think I’ll try roasting the beets on the gas grill, it has a temp gauge and I don’t like using the oven in the summer. Just picked up some delicious vinegars, fig and blueberry.
I have not tried roasted beets in salad before, so I love this new twist on salad!
I LOVE goat’s cheese and beets. They are definitely a match made in heaven and this salad is right up there! Beautiful flavours!