I made an amazing discovery this weekend. We have a WINTER farmer’s market! Right down the street. I cannot tell you how happy this discovery made me. Lots of local farms, cheese, bread, pastry and other yumminess. The produce was gorgeous and there were many varieties of winter veggies. I picked up three different types of beets (don’t ask me to name them) and they looked so delicious I just had to roast them and make a salad.
Now roasted beets is nothing new. This salad is not innovative or interesting or different than what you can get in many restaurants. But it was just SO GOOD that I had to share it with you. The beets were tangy and sweet and the local Vermont goat cheese was just so creamy. I dressed this with a simple balsamic glaze that was light but highlighted the flavors nicely. Walnuts added a healthy crunch.
Beets are backed with folic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A and C. Beets have also been found to protect against certain cancers and heart disease! There are so many great reasons to grab some beets, but mostly because they taste good and are very low in calories. This salad has only 187 calories, making it a perfect start to a healthy meal. Double up the portions and get a great lunch out of it.
ROASTED BEETS WITH BALSAMIC DRIZZLE
Ingredients
- 1lb fresh beets, greens removed, trimmed and scrubbed
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup high quality balsamic vinegar
- ½ tbsp sugar
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Place beets (with skin on) on a bed of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with more foil and roast in this “pocket” for 40 minutes.
- Remove beets, uncover and allow to cool for 10-15 min
- Skins should slide right off the beets once cooled
- In a small sauce pan, dissolve sugar into balsamic and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Mixture will thicken as it cools
- Chop skinned beets into 1″ chunks and arrange in four bowls. Drizzle with 1 tbsp balsamic glaze and top with 1 tbsp walnuts and ½ oz goat cheese
- Serve
