It’s that time of year when everyone wants to eat a bit lighter — winter salads are a great (and easy) way to bulk up on greens. Follow the lead of chef Peter Davis by roasting maple walnuts and beets to put atop a bed of arugula. Local goat cheese and blood orange vinaigrette round out the recipe with a creamy, citrus-y punch. Peep the details below, and get even more salad pro tips here.
Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
for the maple walnuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 pound walnuts
- 12 cups arugula
- 1 medium-sized beet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Blood Orange Vinaigrette
- 12 ounces local goat cheese
- 1/4 cup maple walnuts
- Freshly cracked pepper
- 2 cups blood orange juice
- 1 cup safflower oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 blood oranges, peeled and sectioned
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
for the maple walnuts
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients except walnuts in a saucepan and simmer very slowly for 3 minutes.
- Pour the glaze over the nuts and bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until nuts look dry (about 30 to 40 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash the arugula, spin it dry, and set aside.
- Rub the beet lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 minutes.
- Cool the beet enough to handle, and then peel by rubbing it in your hands with a kitchen towel. Cool the beet to room temperature.
- Toss the arugula on a plate, and thinly shave the beet over the greens using a potato peeler.
- Crumble the cheese over the salad, drizzle with the remaining dressing, sprinkle with the nuts and top with fresh cracked pepper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix all ingredients together thoroughly.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve.
