Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad
Roasted beets and carrots marinated in a bright tarragon vinaigrette and tossed with spinach, pistachios, and feta cheese. This salad works as a prep ahead lunch, a side salad for dinner, or any special occasion meal.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds beets (small) red, gold, or a combination
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut in half lengthwise (3-4 medium)
- 4 shallots (medium or large) peeled and trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt halve if using table salt
- black pepper to taste
- 3 cups baby spinach stemmed
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup pistachios roughly chopped
For the tarragon vinaigrette (Yield: about ½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard such as Maille
- ½ teaspoon sea salt if using kosher salt, start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon packed (discard stems)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Trim down the stems on the beets to about 1 inch and wash them well. Wrap them in a foil packet and add 2 tablespoons water. Seal the packet and place it on the baking sheet.
- Toss the carrots and shallots with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste and spread them out on the other side of the baking sheet.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes until the carrots and shallots are tender. Use a spatula to scoop them into a bowl and set them aside to cool. Return the beets to the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes, until they can be pierced easily with a knife. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
- While the vegetables are cooling, prepare the vinaigrette by placing all of the ingredients in a mini blender or smoothie cup and blending until smooth. If you don’t have a blender, finely mince the tarragon and whisk your dressing together, adding the olive oil last in a steady stream. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
- Slice the roasted shallots and cut the carrots into ½-inch thick half moons. Peel and chop the beets into ½ inch chunks. Add the veggies to a bowl and toss them with half the vinaigrette. At this point the veggies can marinate until you are ready to serve.
- Just before serving, add the spinach and a bit more salad dressing and toss them all together. Taste and add more dressing if you prefer. Top with the pistachios and feta and serve immediately.
Notes
Tarragon plants vary widely in terms of how strong they taste, and their flavor deteriorates pretty quickly after they are harvested. If you are using freshly-harvested tarragon, start with half the amount and add more as needed.
If you can’t find fresh tarragon, tarragon vinegar is a nice alternative. Cilantro or Thai basil are also decent substitutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 279.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.1g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 18.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.7g | Cholesterol: 7.4mg | Sodium: 644.8mg | Potassium: 916.1mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 14269.9IU | Vitamin C: 17.5mg | Calcium: 151.8mg | Iron: 3.2mg
