Beet and Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Get a double dose of strawberries using fresh berries and a strawberry-infused dark balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients
Beets:
- 6 medium beets, (red, golden, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or olive oil
- 1/4 cup plus 1 - 2 tablespoons Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar, to taste, or traditional dark, aged balsamic vinegar, my favorite brand
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh herbs (thyme leaves, oregano leaves, rosemary leaves), optional
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Salad:
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, washed well
- 4 ounces fresh salad greens, washed and dried
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
- 3 - 4 ounces goat cheese or Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup pistachios, pecans, or walnuts, toasted and chopped
- coarse salt, such as Maldon, optional
- freshly-cracked black pepper, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Scrub the beets well and trim off the top and bottom stems. (See post for Beet Greens recipe!)
- Place the beets on a sheet of aluminum foil. I would use separate sheets of foil if you have more than one color beets, so they do not bleed onto each other.) Evenly drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
- Wrap the foil around the beets and place the “packets” onto a baking sheet or baking dish.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife (pairing knife or steak knife works well) easily pierces one of the largest beets with little resistance. Cook time depends on the size of your beets.
- If you’ve not toasted the nuts, while the beets are in the oven, this would be a good time to do so.
- Also, while the beets are baking, make the Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Combine the oil, balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, and zest in a 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well and allow the vinaigrette to sit on the counter at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring at least once.
- After an hour, stir the vinaigrette and adjust any seasonings. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard solids and set the vinaigrette aside until ready to serve. If you’ll be serving the dish in more than an hour, refrigerate the vinaigrette. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
- When the beets are easily pierced with a sharp knife, remove them from the oven. Open the foil packets where some steam can escape. Allow them to cool so that you can handle them, about 30 minutes-ish.
- Using paper towels (and disposable gloves to keep your hands from staining), rub the skin from the beets and discard the skins. (The skins should come off very easily.)
- Cut the beets into 8 wedges. Spread them out on the cutting board to continue to cool.
- Hull the strawberries by removing the inner core with a pairing knife angled to cut a conical shape around the core. Discard the cores. Cut the strawberries longways into fourths (or sixths if they are large).
- You may layer the lettuce, parsley, beets, strawberries, vinaigrette, nuts, cheese, and a sprinkling of Maldon salt and black pepper on a large platter. Or, toss all together just before serving.
Notes
The beets can be made up to 3 days in advance. I would not cut the strawberries until you are going to serve the salad, so they do not become mushy or lose moisture in the refrigerator.
Instead of cutting straight across the top of the strawberries to remove the stem and inner core, use a pairing knife to cut into the top of the strawberry at an angle (a conical shape) to remove only the inner core. The berries are much prettier and less is wasted.
Nutrition Facts
Beet and Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Amount per Serving
Calories
336.54
% Daily Value*
Fat
29.75
g
46
%
Saturated Fat
5.68
g
36
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
3.48
g
Monounsaturated Fat
19.26
g
Cholesterol
6.52
mg
2
%
Sodium
372.8
mg
16
%
Potassium
356.15
mg
10
%
Carbohydrates
14.5
g
5
%
Fiber
3.61
g
15
%
Sugar
8.99
g
10
%
Protein
5.19
g
10
%
Vitamin A
875
IU
18
%
Vitamin C
54.74
mg
66
%
Calcium
56.63
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!