Beet + Orange Salad

One of the characteristics of beets that makes them appealing to me is their luscious magenta color. My supermarket stocks organic beets that are orange in color, but I can never resist the magenta ones. Once cooked, they will stain your hands and countertops, but the upside of that inconvenience is that they can be used to dye cloth. (A fun project to do with children.) Soap and water will easily remove the stain from hands and surfaces. Beets are also simple to cook, and do not suffer greatly from being left in boiling water for a bit longer than necessary. Additionally, they contain the element of boron which I recently read is beneficial for building strong bones. Oh, and don’t forget that you can eat the leaves. In fact, when picking out a bunch of beets you can determine their freshness by examining whether or not the leaves are wilted. Toss the nutrient rich leaves into your green salad.

This salad has to be made ahead of time since the beets take some time to cook and then to chill. This is an advantage when making a large meal with multiple dishes that require attention at the last minute. The salad also holds up well if you don’t finish eating it on the first day.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch large beets or 2 bunches small beets

1 navel orange

1 T. olive oil

1 t. balsamic vinegar

Italian parsley

Directions

Remove stems and leaves from the beets. Wash beets. Place them in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. The beets are cooked when a fork can be inserted easily, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on size. Run cold water over the beets. When they are cool enough to handle, remove skins using your hands. Dice beets and place in a bowl along with orange slices that have been cut into smaller pieces. Squeeze the juice from a couple slices directly onto the salad. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar onto the salad. Add some chopped parsley. Toss. Chill. Serve.