One Ingredient that Makes a Whole Delicious Salad

The beauty of beets is that the roots and shoots are all you need to make an amazingly delicious and nutritious colorful bountiful salad. How many one ingredient meals can you thinks of?

I was the beneficiary of a huge bagful of beautiful red beets from a friend’s organic garden. The beetroot plant is so abundant that I wanted to use every part of the plant including the greens. I decided to use the big leafy beet greens as the salad base instead of other lettuce for a yummy and nutritious twist. Beet greens are the leafy foliage that grows just above the beetroot and they’re not just edible, they’re delicious and really good for you.

Beetroot boasts so many health benefits. The red color of beets are called betalain pigments and the pigment is the most nutritious part of the vegetable. Betanin provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. Beets also benefit our heart and blood health and are also an excellent source of folate, manganese, potassium, copper. magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B6. Beet greens are dense in vitamins C, A and E.

Beets are wonderful roasted for a sweet, caramelized flavor or eaten raw, for a fresh, crunchy bite. Beet greens can be enjoyed raw or cooked too. However just know that the longer vegetables cook, the more the nutrients diminish.

Beet Salad

Salad Ingredients

1 red beet with leaves attached
1 golden beet with leaves attached
1 red and white striped beet with leaves attached
Sprinkle of hemp seeds
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Mustard Vinaigrette

3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown mustard
1 tsp. dried Italian herb mix
Salt & pepper to taste

You never quite know which beets are which until you slice them open. these beets still need to be peeled and washed.

Process

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together until emulsified and set aside.
Cut the beet leaves off the root at the base of the root
Choose the best looking beet leaves, wash well and set aside to dry.
Peel and wash the beets.
Cut the red and yellow beets in medium sized cubes.
Place cubed beets on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast cubed beets in the oven at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until tender.
With a mandoline or sharp knife, slice red and white spiral beet in very thin slices.
Cut pinwheels in half.