Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Hazelnuts and Poppy Seed Dressing
A delicious and easy to prepare beet salad that fantastic served warm but can also be enjoyed cold as a healthy side dish.
Course
Salad, Side Dish
Category
Mediterranean
Prep Time15minutes
Cook Time1hour10minutes
Total Time1hour25minutes
Servings4
Calories245kcal
AutorElle
Ingredients
4-5medium beets,scrubbed (ca. 900 g)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper,to taste
50gcrumbled goats cheese(or more)
handful roasted hazelnuts,coarsely chopped
1tablespoonfinely chopped dill or flat-leaf parsley
For the dressing:
2tablespoonGreek yogurt
2tablespoonolive oil
1 1/2teaspoonsDijon mustard
2 1/2tablespoonapple cider vinegarNatürtrub
1 1/2tablespoonpoppy seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.
Season the beets with salt and pepper and tightly wrap them in a double layer of foil. Roast on a baking sheet in the middle of the over until tender when pierced with a knife, 1 to 1 1/4 hours (depending on size).
Alternatively, coat the bottom of an oven-safe casserole dish or Dutch oven with olive oil. Place the beets in the a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish, season with salt and pepper and cover with a tightly fitting lid (or cover tightly with foil) and roast until tender, checking for doneness between 50-60 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for a couple of minutes. Transfer the warm beets to a paper towel-lined cutting board, and use the paper towels to rub off the skins. Trim off and discard the root ends.
While the beets roast prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, mustard, vinegar, and poppy seeds. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Slice the warm beets into bite-size wedges and transfer them to a serving bowl or platter. Season them lightly with salt and then drizzle the dressing evenly over them. Sprinkle with goats cheese, hazelnuts and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Notes
It is also possible to steam the beets in the oven. Toss beets with oil in a baking dish; season with salt and pepper. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) water. Cover pan tightly with a lid or foil (so that steam will build up) and roast beets until a tender when pierced with a knife, about 60–75 minutes.
I use Chevre goat’s cheese (without the rind) for this recipe.
Store-bought roasted hazelnuts can be used for this recipe, otherwise roast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the hazelnuts, stirring them to color evenly, until the skins char in places and begin to split and flake, about 10 minutes. Transfer the nuts into a clean kitchen towel and wrap the towel around them. Rub the nuts against one another inside the towel to remove the skins. Do not worry if some bits of skin remain. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board and chop coarsely; you want an uneven mixture of some hazelnut halves and some small pieces.
This recipe was inspired by Julia Turshen’s Beet Salad with Poppy Seed and Chive Dressing from her cookbook Now and Again. I’ve adapted the dressing slightly and serve the beets roasted rather than boiled and top them with roasted hazelnuts, goat cheese and fresh herbs.