I used to hate beets. This Orange & Arugula Beetroot Salad is what converted me into a lover of beets! If you’re trying to get your kids (or yourself) to eat more veggies, this is a great salad to try.
Beetroot salads first entered my recipe playlist several years ago when I was working for Nestlé. I ran a flavor and sauces business for their food service (restaurant) division and we got to attend a training seminar. The coolest part? This training seminar was an entire week at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Absolute heaven.
Each day, our course provided education on key culinary techniques and we got to select the recipe we made. On this fateful day, I chose the beetroot recipe because honestly, I hated beets. I figured that if I was to ever like them, a Culinary Institute recipe should do the trick.
The salad I made at the Culinary Institute included beets, orange segments, chives, feta cheese and a wonderful orange vinaigrette. I still make that version, but wanted to introduce you to an option that wasn’t so beet-heavy to get you started.
Of course, at the Culinary Institute, we started with raw, uncooked beets. It can take about an hour to roast beetroots and then you make a mess removing the skin (beet juice is bright red). Instead, I like to buy the pre-roasted baby beets you can find in the produce section of your grocery store.
What Makes this Beetroot Salad Recipe so Yummy?
What makes this salad so phenomenal is the balance of earthy beets, sweet oranges, tangy onions and spicy arugula. The lightly sweet dressing makes everything taste phenomenal. Plus, familiar orange sections make it more approachable. My favorite version, here, includes arugula. Yet, you can use any type of greens that you or your kids enjoy. (butter lettuce would be delicious)
This bright, fresh recipe pairs well with roasted/grilled meats and veggies. Feel free to add nuts, cheese or meat/tofu to boost protein if desired. You really can’t go wrong.
Print
Orange & Arugula Beetroot Salad
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Salads
Ingredients
DRESSING
-
1 tbsp orange juice
-
3 tbsp olive oil
-
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-
1/4 tsp garlic powder
-
1/4 tsp salt
-
1/4 tsp ground pepper
SALAD
-
8 oz cooked beets, quartered
-
1 naval orange – segmented (see how-to in notes, below)
-
1/4 raw red onion – chopped
-
10 sprigs fresh chives – chopped
-
2 cups arugula
Instructions
DRESSING
-
Segment the orange (see notes for explanation) to get the juice for the recipe. Set orange segments aside.
-
Add all of the vinaigrette recipes to your serving bowl and whisk together.
SALAD
- Add the salad ingredients to the same bowl as the dressing and toss to incorporate.
Notes
- Beets: You can roast them yourself or use prepared packs of baby beets from the produce section of your store
- How to Segment an Orange: (1) Use a sharp knife to slice off the top and bottom of the orange, (2) using even downward strokes, slice the skin away from the flesh and discard, (3) cut between the membranes to segment the orange, (4) squeeze the ‘scraps’ from the orange to get about 2 tbsp juice.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – I use raw, unfiltered vinegar, which increases the probiotics in your dressing
Contents
