Roasted Beet & Fennel Salad with Goat Cheese
Do you like beets? How about fennel?
I somehow managed to put the two vegetables that people are most skeptical of together in one salad. I’m clearly on to something when it comes to this food blogging thing. {insert face in hand} Well, I’m hear to tell you that this salad is actually delicious, and we all need to take a step back from the skeptics and tell them to shut it. Okay fine, we can be nicer than that.
This summer, when we went on our Vegas/Portland vacation, we ate at the cutest little French restaurant on the Vegas strip and I ordered an entrée that came with a beet and kale salad. This salad was ah-mazing, and I basically inhaled the plate. Kenny was acting like a 3-year old and refusing to try it because of the beets (juuuust kidding, love you), in which I was totally fine with. MORE FOR ME. I immediately made a note of it so that I could recreate it when I got home. Well, it’s only taken me 4 months to get around to that, but better late than never. Sue me.
I roasted the beets so that they were nice and soft and very sweet, then I let them cool before adding them to the rest of the raw ingredients. If you slice the fennel SUPER thin, the flavor will be a little more delicate and not quite as strong. Seriously, fennel goes SO well with beets and goat cheese. I was originally going to use kale, just like they had in the restaurant, but then I thought about those poor little beet greens that always seem to get neglected. We are using every part of the veg here, folks.
Throw on some creamy goat cheese and and the simplest of vinaigrettes, and you have yourself a plate that is jam-packed with nutrients and flavor. It can be served as a side dish, but is actually equally satisfying all on its own. You could even throw some nuts, seeds or beans on there for some added protein. I bet white beans would be so good! I will definitely be making this all the time. And if Kenny still won’t try it, fine. MORE FOR ME. Duh.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of beets (my bunch had 5 small beets)
- 1 bulb fennel, halved and finely sliced
- 2 oz goat cheese
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the beet leaves and set aside for later. Scrub any dirt off of the beets, and loosely wrap them in foil. If they are big, you may have to wrap each one, smaller ones can be wrapped together. Roast for 45-60 minutes, depending on how big the beets are.
- Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool enough so you can handle them. With a paper towel, wipe off all of the skins. If they have roasted long enough, the skin should come off very easily.
- Cut the ends off and then cut them into quarters or slices. Let cool before adding to the salad.
- Take the beet leaves off of the stems and chop into smaller pieces.
- In a large bowl, add the greens, fennel and beets and toss together.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients until combined. Pour over the salad and toss again.
- Season with some more salt and pepper if desired.