Author Notes
Seems to me beets and oranges are a classic winter salad combination that you see everywhere. Beets and walnuts are too. This one has both, but no red onions and no cheese (often a players with the beets and walnuts). My friend Sophie's dad, Jim Broderick, gave me the idea that really makes this salad great: fennel and orange rind in the dressing. The oranges and beets are best tossed in at the last minute, when you dress the salad to serve it, lest the o-juice and beety color run amok. —Teresa Parker
Ingredients
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2
medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed
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olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
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2
navel oranges, peel zested and fruit sectioned
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1 tablespoon
minced shallot
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1/2 teaspoon
fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
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2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
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1/4 cup
walnut oil
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1/3 cup
coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
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1
head red leaf lettuce, rinsed, dried, and torn into pieces
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the beets on one half of a large piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt. Fold the foil in half to make a packet and roll the edges to seal. Lay on a baking sheet, and roast until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool. Peel the beets, and slice into 1/2-inch thick wedges.
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Zest one orange -- you need 1 teaspoon grated zest. Using a very sharp knife, cut the ends from the oranges, slicing just deep enough to expose the flesh. Cut off the remaining peel and pith. Then, working over a bowl, remove the segments, cutting between the membrane.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, orange zest, fennel seeds, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually whisk in the walnut oil. Adjust seasoning.
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In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, beets, and walnuts. Drain the orange sections and add them to the salad. Pour in the dressing and toss to mix. Adjust seasoning.
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