Roasted Beet and Orange Salad
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooking Time: none
- Serves: 4
The bright colors and flavors of this dish liven up both your table and your palate. Try this salad as an invigorating appetizer or as a zesty accompaniment to piece of simple grilled fish. The pomegranate seeds are optional because they are only in season a few months out of the year.
- Part of Meal: Salad
- Food Type: Parve
- 4 medium fresh beets or 6 small beets (pre-packaged)
- 3 sweet oranges, preferably naval, without pits
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced into half circles
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon walnut oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tarragon, minced
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds, (optional)
- If you are using fresh beets, preheat the oven to 400ยบ. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Allow them to cool so you can rub the skin off with a paper towel without burning your fingers. Do this over a bowl or directly into the garbage, and if you have clean kitchen gloves put them on to avoid staining your hands. Slice beets into 1/4-inch thick discs and place in a large bowl.
- If you are using pre-cooked beets, slice the beets into 1/4-inch thick discs and place in a large bowl.
- Slice the ends off of each orange, about 1/4 inch from the tip. Carefully slice around each orange, cutting off the skin and pith but leaving the flesh. Cut each orange into about 6 slices and place in the bowl with the beets.
- In a medium bowl, soak the onion slices in cold water for 1 minute and then drain and squeeze out excess water with a paper towel. Add the onion to the beets and oranges.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pomegranate molasses, walnut oil, white wine vinegar and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.
- At this point you may refrigerate the salad in its separate parts: beet mixture, dressing and toppings. Add the dressing up to 1 hour before serving.
- Pour enough of the dressing over the beet and oranges and onion to coat, then toss it all together.
- Serve on a platter and top with pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts.