This raw beet salad is built on a base of kale and arugula, tossed with a zesty citrus vinaigrette, and piled up with toasty walnuts, salt cured olives, avocado and fresh goat cheese.
I love this raw beet salad in the depths of winter. The fresh flavors and gorgeous colors that are a much needed relief from the heavy, brown food of winter. If you’ve never tried a raw beet, this is your chance!
It’s crisp, a little earthy, and adds the prettiest pop of color to salads. Some people find them bitter, but with the bright citrus dressing and salty wrinkled olives, I doubt you’ll notice or care. I love the combination of flat leaf kale ribbons and arugula here-- it’s the perfect mix of flavor and heartiness. But use whatever greens you have on hand or like the most. Add avocado and goat cheese for the creamy factor, and a scattering of toasted walnuts for crunch, and you have a winter salad of your dreams!
what does a raw beet taste like?
A thinly sliced raw beet is crispy, slightly earthy and very sweet. They’re best served with bright citrus dressings to balance the earthiness. Red beets will bleed a lot of color, even when raw, so keep them separate until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
can you eat beets raw in a salad?
Raw beets are delicious in salads. They add a subtle earthiness, sweet crunch and beautiful pop of color to salads. Look for gorgeous striped Chioggia beets or golden beets for the mildest flavor. Regardless of the type, I always use the smallest beets when I plan to eat them raw. They’re the sweetest and least bitter.
how do you prepare raw beets to eat?
To eat raw beets, cut off the top and bottom then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin (this can be bitter). Use a mandonline to thinly slice the raw beets-- thinner than a dime is ideal.
Once sliced, beets are best consumed within a day or two. After that, they begin to dry out and break down.
how to make this raw beet salad:
- make the citrus dressing (an immersion blender is ideal)
- remove the ribs from the kale and slice the leaves into ¼-inch ribbons
- mix with arugula and toss with some of the dressing
- peel and slice the beets (use a mandoline)
- assemble the salad: arrange raw beets, olives, walnuts, avocado and goat cheese on top of the greens
- drizzle with more dressing and serve!
how to serve this beet salad:
For a full meal, serve this beet salad with the perfect baked chicken breasts and a side of your favorite grain. We love farro around here, but quinoa, rice or even a simple pasta will round it out!
Don't skip a bright and fresh glass of white wine. Gruner Veltliner, cool climate Sauvignon blancs, and Vinho Verdes are all crisp and light white wines that are the perfect contrast to this raw beet salad.
more winter salads to try:
roasted beet salad with goat cheese
apple arugula salad with pickled raisins and walnut vinaigrette
radicchio salad with oranges and pecorino
arugula fennel salad with pickled cherries and burrata
Printraw beet salad with citrus vinaigrette
This raw beet salad is built on a base of kale and arugula, tossed with a zesty citrus vinaigrette, and piled up with toasty walnuts, salt cured olives, avocado and fresh goat cheese.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
citrus vinaigrette
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 1 orange
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ extra virgin olive oil
raw beet salad
- 3 small beets
- 1 bunch flat leaf kale, washed and patted dry
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
- 2 oz fresh goat cheese
- ⅓ cup salt cured olives, pitted
- ⅓ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Instructions
citrus vinaigrette
- Zest the lemon, lime and orange and scrape into a glass jar. In a separate bowl, combine the juice of half the orange, all of the lemon and all of the lime.
- Measure out ¼ cup of the combined juice and add it to the jar with the zest. Add vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and mix. Whisk in olive oil until combined, taste and add more salt or pepper if needed (for the creamiest dressing, use an immersion blender to combine).
raw beet salad
- Cut the tops and bottoms off the beets, then peel. Use a mandoline to slice beets into very thin slices, about the thickness of a dime.
- Remove ribs from kale and discard. Stack portions of leaves, roll up into a tight cigar and slice crosswise into ¼-inch ribbons. Place in a large bowl with arugula and toss with half of the dressing.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Add shaved beets to the greens. Top avocado, goat cheese, olives, and walnuts. Drizzle with more dressing, if desired, and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 6.8g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 6.5g
- Protein: 7.4g
- Cholesterol: 6.5mg
Leave a Reply