Roasted Beet and Beet Green Salad with Apple and Goat Cheese (Insalata di Barbabietole, Mele e Caprino)
by Lidia Bastianich on Dec 3, 2019
My daughter, Tanya, and I have always loved beets— we often serve them at home— and so have been pleased to see beet salad gain such popularity in restaurants everywhere in the last few years. Felidia is no exception. Although we generally incorporate apples into this recipe, peaches and apricots also work beautifully during the summer months.
- Servings
- Serves 6
- Course
- Salad
Tags
Ingredients
- 3 bunches small or baby (about 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter) yellow and red beets with greens attached (about 3 pounds total)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 medium-sized tart, crisp apple, such as Granny Smith, cut into matchsticks
- 4 ounces slightly aged goat cheese
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
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Remove the greens from the beets, leaving about ½ inch of stem. Scrub the beets, and poke each with a fork a few times. Rinse the beet greens well, trimming off the tough parts of the stems, and cut the softer stem pieces into 2-inch lengths. Set the stem pieces and leaves aside. Put the beets in a shallow baking dish with about ¼ inch of water. Roast until beets are slightly shriveled and tender all the way through, about 1 hour. Remove from the baking dish, and let cool completely.
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While the beets are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the beet greens and stems, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove to an ice bath to cool. Drain, and press very dry.
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Peel the cooled beets, cut into wedges, and add to a large bowl with the greens. Season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar, and toss well. Gently toss in the apple, and arrange the salad on a platter. Crumble the goat cheese over the top, and serve.
