Roasted Beet Salad with Feta Cheese & Asian Pear Recipe

We love a good salad around here and this roasted beet salad does not disappoint. The roasted beets paired with the grainy, briny feta cheese and the crunchy, juicy Asian pear make for a delicious medley of flavors and textures. Come on in, have a seat at our table and let me share this roasted beet salad with feta cheese and Asian Pear recipe.

This is the first time we made beets at home, and I created our own recipe based on other recipes I read on-line, ingredients we had on hand, and things we like to eat. It’s my favorite way to create recipes. There are other ingredients that elevate the recipe like the bed of peppery arugula and the sprinkling of crunchy pecans on top. Mr. M really enjoyed it and devoured it, which I was not expecting at all. That’s a total win in my book.

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Inspiration for the Roasted Beet Salad

We recently shared this Peter Rabbit inspired garden vignette and these beets were some of the vegetables we found at the local Farmer’s Market for the project. Once we were done playing in the dirt out in the garden, I wanted to make good use of the farm fresh veggies.

Truth be told, I have been wanted to make beets at home and this provided the perfect opportunity. I chose to roast the beets rather than boil or steam them, based on recipes and reviews I read, plus it’s the technique that sounded the most appetizing. I liked the roasted beet process and think I will stick with it.

Roasted Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Asian Pear Recipe

Like I stress in all recipes, the fresher your ingredients are, the better the end result of any dish.  These beets from our local Farmer’s Market were amazing! They were so pretty to begin with and were super tender and full of flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Cups of Arugula
• 2 Roasted Beets
• 1 Shallot
• 1/2 Asian Pear
• 1/3 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Pecans
• S & P to taste

Instructions

• Assemble all your Ingredients
• Roast Beets*
• Wash and spin your arugula

• Arrange arugula on bottom of serving dish to form a bed
• Season arugula with S&P as desired
• Drizzle 1 T of EVOO over arugula bed

• Slice beets and layer on top of arugula
• Thinly slice shallots and layer on top of salad

• Thinly slice pear and cut slices in 1/2, tucking into salad between arugula and beets

• Sprinkle feta cheese on top
• Finish off with chopped pecans

• Drizzle salad with 1 T EVOO

• Drizzle salad with Balsamic Vinegar
• Voila and Bon Appetit!

This recipe can provide 4 servings as a starter salad. If you want to use it as a side dish with a heartier serving I would simply double the recipe.

Tips & Techniques about the Roasted Beet Salad

You want to *roast the beets first and have them cooled and ready to handle when you go to assemble the salad. Trim the leaves and roots and wash your beets thoroughly before roasting. Drizzle the beets with EVOO and sprinkle with salt before wrapping in aluminum foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on size in 400^o oven.

Some folks suggested using a knife or fork to test doneness but I simply squeezed tin foil beets with an oven mitt similar to how I test baked potatoes. You want the beets to have a soft give when you squeeze but still hold their shape. Set aside and let cool. Once cool enough to handle simply peel with your hands.

Some recipes called for using a knife to peel, but I did not find that necessary and the beets peeled easily with my hands. Please handle beets with care. The color is super intense and will stain easily. I made sure to have plenty of paper towels on hand and worked on top of dish and aluminum foil I used to roast them, capturing the juice and avoiding unwanted strains.

Now that I am familiar with the process, next time I roast beets I am hoping to capture the juice to use for a project. I am brainstorming ideas of what I would like to dye naturally with beet coloring. Stay tuned.

Closing Thoughts on the Roasted Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Asian Pear

Beets are super earthy and whatever that favor profile is, it’s what beets brings to the party. It might not be for everyone, but it gives me the same sensation that the smell of fresh rain evokes.

Beets are nor only earthy, but they also have a tang of sweetness. It’s such a great complex flavor that pairs with so many other options. I have an idea for the next beet salad around here.

Shopping List for Making a Roasted Beet Salad

• I absolutely love my salad spinner and highly recommend every kitchen should have one.
• I like these neutral serving platters for salads like these.
• If you’re a blue & white lover, these serving plates are perfect for this type of salad.
• This platter is really pretty; I love the handles!
• I use salad servers all the time and this wooden set is a great basic for any kitchen.
• I really like the look of this salad server set.
• Arthur Court has great designs and this salad server set is super special.
• Just like I find a salad spinner indispensable, I believe a basic cruet set is a great tool to have in your kitchen as well.

I hope this inspires you to get in the kitchen and make something delicious for yourself and your loved ones.

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The essence of a good salad is
simplicity. Clean, bright flavors that, when brought together, bring out the best in
one another.”

Chuck Willliams

sharing @ between naps on the porch