Roast

Quinoa with Roasted Beets and Pear

October 30, 2014
4.8
4 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

Here’s the deal: I like to use a mix of beet colors, and red quinoa, for a few reasons.
Number one, because it's pretty. Number two, because red beets are stain-y as fuuuhh and will make your yellow or white quinoa definitely purple. If you are down with that, you do you! —Kendra Vaculin

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa (I prefer red)
  • 2 medium-sized beets, scrubbed (I like a mix of colors)
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 large pear, cubed
  • 3 ounces crumbled feta
  • 1 splash olive oil
  • 1 splash Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400° F.
  2. Slice off the leaves at the top of the beets. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and then wrap each individually and loosely in tin foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until soft enough that you can easily stab one with a fork and it doesn’t give you any problems. Unwrap and set aside to let cool; once touchable, run the beets under water to slide the skin off. Cut beets into cubes.
  3. Lower your oven temperature to 350° F. Spread walnuts out in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool before giving them a rough chop.
  4. Assemble the salad by dumping everything together into a bowl because you, brilliant human, know that that’s how salads work. Quinoa, beet cubes, pear cubes, walnuts and feta, a.k.a. the dream team. Toss with a slight drizzle of balsamic, a little olive oil, and some coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Did you know this is awesome warm or cold? It is. Bring it to work for lunch the next day because it will be bitchin' straight from the fridge, and your coworkers will be like ughhhhhhh.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

A fan of female driven comedies, a good beat, your hair today, and making foods for friends.

17 Reviews

AntoniaJames October 21, 2022
A keeper. I left out the feta, as our main dish (butternut squash and red onion frittata recently posted here) was full of it, and added chopped blanched beet greens. I used a crisp, tart apple instead of a pear, and doused it all with a sharp mustardy vinaigrette. Looking forward to making this with the feta. ;o)
Katie October 3, 2019
I haven't made this yet, but just wanted to say that I very much enjoyed your writing in the recipe. Made me laugh right out loud. Thanks for the smile and delicious (sounding) recipe.
EatPrayandEatAgain September 12, 2019
I have made this recipe countless times and always get compliments! I love that it holds well for next days and it is a beautiful colorful addition to any table, not to mention the flavor and textures it adds. On my last book club this salad with finger sandwiches and some crudites was such a hit.
Lola October 29, 2016
I love roasted beets - actually, roasted is the only way I like beets. But I've never wrapped them in foil, I just put them in the oven on a baking tray along with whatever other veggies I'm roasting. What does wrapping them do? Also, I've never peeled them ... the peel is so thin that once cooked, nobody even notices that the peel is still there.
Brigitte L. November 9, 2015
Love that!!! I will definitely try this out. Thanks so much for sharing!!!!
appleyellow November 2, 2015
Made it for Thanksgiving last year and will do so again this year. It was an event favorite, more popular than stuffing or sweet potatoes.
Kendra V. November 2, 2015
love that!
Dee July 21, 2015
Obsessed with this recipe - made it several times in the last few weeks. Sub lemon juice for balsamic vinegar and goat cheese for feta = delish. Lasts for lunches all week!
scott July 12, 2015
I substituted coconut oil for the evoo and added a handful of dates. Good stuff.
lilliwill January 9, 2015
delicious, simple to prepare (esp using Susie Middleton's beet recipe), and beautiful! triple threat!
Jennifer T. December 12, 2014
I used golden beets and tri-color quinoa. Looked gorgeous and tasted amazing. Thanks so much for the recipe!
walrusgumbo November 12, 2014
this turned out amazing! i substituted orange select segments for pear and ricotta salata for feta (since that is what i had on hand). a little garnish of fresh parsley really made the colors pop!
Michelle November 9, 2014
I love how you write your recipes
Fuhhhhhhhh lol
Kathryn G. November 5, 2014
Mmmmm...I'm so making this!
Mani November 5, 2014
I have two words: goat cheese! :p
McKel H. November 5, 2014
Such a beautiful dish!
sevenfaces November 5, 2014
A quick easy delicious salad! Balsamic and beets are my new jam.