Roasted Beet + Orange Salad with Goat Cheese
Beets. You either love 'em or hate 'em. I love them. I love their earthy flavor, especially when paired with bright citrus and something creamy and salty like goat cheese. This is a great side for Thanksgiving and may even sway a non beet-lover.
Roasted Beet + Orange Salad with Goat Cheese
10-12 medium beets (I used golden + red)
2 T olive oil
salt to taste
4 oz chèvre goat cheese
2 oranges, supremed
1/2 c pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
honey to drizzle
vinaigrette
reserved juice from oranges (about 1/4 c)
1/4 c olive oil
2 T white wine vinegar
salt + pepper to taste
1 t dijon mustard
Roast the beets
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and season with salt. I like to keep the root tips intact on the ends because I think it's really pretty when they're served. Wrap the beets up in foil and place on a baking sheet. If using both golden and red beets like I did, I would recommend wrapping them separately to avoid color transfer. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. Allow to cool before assembling the salad.
Supreme the Oranges
Supreming is just a fancy term for separating the flesh of a citrus fruit from the membrane and peel. To supreme, slice off the top and bottom of the orange and stand it up on one end. Run your knife down the side, separating the peel and pith from the flesh of the fruit. Once you have all the peel and pith removed, hold the orange in your hand and carefully run a paring knife along side each membrane to release each orange segment. Do this over a bowl and reserve the juice for the vinaigrette. I like to squeeze any of the peel scraps for excess juice too.
Assemble the Salad
Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside. Simply arrange the beets and orange segments on a platter. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese and pecans then drizzle on the vinaigrette. Finish with a drizzle of honey.
