Pecan-Beet Salad
- Yield 8 servings
A healthy bed of salad greens is topped with roasted beets and pecans.
Ingredients
- 6 -- (6-ounce) golden beets
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 -- (5-ounce) package gourmet mixed salad greens, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup (4-ounce) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Instructions
- Trim the beet stems to 1-inch. Gently wash the beets. Wrap each beet in foil and place on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400F for 1 hour or until tender. Remove to a wire rack. Let stand, wrapped in foil, for 30 minutes or until cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Spread the pecans in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Whisk the vinegar, shallot, brown sugar, salt, pepper and vanilla in a small bowl until well mixed. Add the oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Peel the roasted beets and remove the stem ends. Cut the beets into 1/2-inch wedges and place in a bowl. Add 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Arrange the salad greens on a serving platter. Add the beet mixture, cheese and toasted pecans and toss to mix. Serve with the remaining vinaigrette. If you are in a hurry, you may use thoroughly drained canned beets.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Betty Sim’s Southern Scrumptious Favorites(Scrumptious Inc., Decatur, Alabama, 2011).
