Description
A vibrant and refreshing winter salad combining earthy roasted beets, bright citrus segments, sweet pomegranate arils, creamy feta cheese, and crunchy toasted walnuts, all dressed with a simple citrus vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 4 medium red beets, scrubbed
- 2 navel oranges
- 1 large grapefruit
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups mixed baby greens or arugula (optional base)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and roast for 45-60 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool, then peel and cut into wedges or slices.
- While beets roast, prepare citrus: using a sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom of the oranges and grapefruit. Slice off the peel and white pith. Working over a bowl, cut between the membranes to release the segments. Squeeze the membranes to collect any remaining juice for the dressing.
- Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble, arrange roasted beet wedges and citrus segments on a platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with pomegranate arils, toasted walnuts, and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with the citrus vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
- Optionally, serve over a bed of mixed greens or arugula.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste. For added flavor, try adding a handful of fresh mint or basil leaves. The beets can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.