What? Is that a little warmth I feel? Don’t tease me now…
After a few days of good sunshine, I think I’m starting to believe spring is finally here.
I have been craving salads lately and am so glad it’s getting closer to salad season. A few days of sunshine is enough to convince me this salad is warranted.
I love the balance in this salad, the tangy citrusy dressing, the warm sweet beets, the slight bitterness from the arugula, the sprinkling of nuttiness from the sunflower seeds, the creamy goat cheese, the crunchy fennel…you get a little bit of everything and they all work really well together. Not to mention the gorgeous colours, they just cheer me up before I even dig in!
The icing on this cake? You can prepare multiple servings and assemble them quickly later on too. I just kept the roasted and cut beets and sliced fennel separately in the fridge. Since I buy pre-washed arugula, it’s only a matter of throwing a little of everything on a plate and drizzling with some dressing. It took me about a week to finish the dressing and so it should at least last a week in the fridge.
Having something so beautiful, healthy, tasty and handy sitting around at home makes it much less likely for you to grab junk food when hunger strikes. Feed your body and mind as they deserve to be fed! Guilt-free, and deprivation-free!
Salad inspired by Chef Leslie Mackie, Dressing from Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook
Say hi to Spring with this gorgeous warm roasted beet, crunchy fennel and creamy goat cheese salad with a tangy and citrusy orange poppyseed dressing!
Vegetarian|Gluten-Free|Egg-Free|Nut-Free|Seafood-Free
Ingredients
- 2 large Golden Beets, washed (skin-on) to get rid of surface dirt
- 1/2 bulb Fennel, shaved or sliced
- 4 cups Arugula
- 1 tbsp Raw Shelled Sunflower Seeds
- 1oz Reduced Fat Goat Cheese
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Orange Zest, finely grated
- 2 tbsp Orange Juice
- 2 tbsp Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Onion, finely chopped
- Pepper
- 1/3 cup Grapeseed Oil
- 1 tsp Poppy Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Place beets on a piece of aluminum foil and top with another sheet of aluminum foil, fold all the edges together to make a packet. Bake for 1 hour.
- While the beets are roasting, make the dressing by adding sugar, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, onion and pepper to a food processor and pulse to combine.
- With the food processor running, slowly stream oil down the chute to thicken. Stir in poppy seeds and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- When the beets are ready, let them cool a little and then rub the skin with your hands to peel it off. Slice each beet into 8-16 wedges.
- In a dry frying pan over medium heat, lightly roast sunflower seeds for 3-5 minutes.
- Assemble salad by creating a bed with the arugula, scatter beets, fennel, sunflower seeds and crumbled goat cheese on top. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of dressing to serve.
Per each of 2 Servings (1 tbsp Dressing/Serving)
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