Roasted Beet Salad

Sinkful o'beets

This is our favorite way to eat beets here at the Morrow house.  It does require a little advance preparation -- the beets take quite awhile to roast -- but overall it's simple and goes together quickly once the beets are cooked.  You can even cook them several hours or a day ahead of time.  If you have a few different colors of beets available, so much the better!  Consider keeping the lighter-colored beets separate from the red ones until it's time to serve the salad; red beet juice turns absolutely everything red.


ROASTED BEET SALAD
from Jake & Emma's kitchen, with influence from various recipes

serves 4 as a side dish

8-10 beets (about 1 1/2 lbs); red, gold, chioggia, or any combination thereof
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped, OR 3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 oz soft goat cheese (chevre), crumbled
about 3 Tablespoons Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, or as needed
salt 

Preheat oven to 425.  Trim stems and long roots from beets.  Place beets on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and wrap them up tightly into a packet.  Roast in the oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from oven and let cool.  When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them using a paring knife: make a small cut with the knife, then pull the skin away.  Skins should peel off easily.  Slice beets into rounds if small, half- or quarter-rounds if larger.

While beets are roasting, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add slivered almonds and toast, stirring frequently, until golden (about 5 minutes).  Watch them carefully, they'll want to burn on you.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine sliced beets, toasted almonds, chopped onion, and goat cheese in a bowl.  Toss gently with vinaigrette, and season with salt to taste.  Serve warm or chilled.