Beet and Parsley Salad with Welsh Rarebit Croutons

Every week, Caroline Wright creates simple, civilized recipes for Food52 that feed four -- for under $20, in under 20 minutes.

Today: Your salad just got a lot more exciting. 

My husband could be characterized as an anglophile on one level and a lover of all foods that combine bread and cheese on another, so dinner was the meeting of our palates. This salad, with the addition of beets and some wintery greens, features Welsh rarebit -- a type of British grilled cheese, like the French croque monsieur, that is perfect for a brisk night. I made the little rarebit toasts into the sort of croutes I made while living in Paris, crispy and hugged with warm cheese. Thinly sliced raw beets add snap and an earthy sweetness to this fantasy bistro plate.

Welsh Rarebit Croutons with Beet and Parsley Salad

Serves 4

16 baguette slices (from about half of a medium baguette)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/2 cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup parsley leaves
?2 cups beet greens
4 cups sliced radicchio (from 1 medium head)?
3 small red beets, peeled, and very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
?2 tablespoons olive oil
?2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

As a freelance food writer and cook, I first wrote this style of recipe as a column on my blog, The Wright Recipes, as an excuse to cook good food for my friends in a quick and simple way. 

Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute™ Meals grew into a cookbook that was published by Workman in May 2013. The recipes found here are original, made especially for Food52 to once again celebrate simple food with friends.

Photo by Caroline Wright