This is a simple salad of big earthy flavors and it makes a nice foil to rich dishes. It can also be a base for an entree salad, draped with strips of grilled beef or tofu, or bits of roast chicken. I would not add much in the way of lettuce, although the addition of mizuna and cresses such as peppercress or watercress would certainly work. Some softer, mildly sweet blue cheese such as Bleu d’Auvergne, Gorgonzola, or Fourme d’Ambert would go well, and you can scatter some dried cranberries or cherries over as well.
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups cleaned, stemmed arugula
6-8 (roughly 2 cups) Chioggia or golden beets, roasted and cut lengthwise into 6-8 wedges*
½ cup toasted almonds, chopped or cracked**
1 cup or less of vinaigrette such as balsamic, sherry-mustard, white balsamic, or white wine vinaigrette, preferably made using some almond oil
Salt and pepper to taste-large flake salt such as Murray River or Maldon preferred
METHOD:
In one non-reactive bowl, lightly dress the wedges of beet in a couple tablespoons of dressing, tossing with your finger to coat entirely. In a second, fairly large bowl, add 3 tablespoons of dressing and add the arugula. Gently toss with you fingers to coat the leaves with dressing. If the leaves are too dry, add a little more dressing until the arugula is just coated with dressing. Distribute the arugula between four chilled plates and then do the same with the dressed beet wedges. Scatter the nuts over all and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy right away.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
*See recipe for Roast Beets.
**I prefer to hand chop the almonds so the pieces are not too small. To crack them, just spread them on a cutting board and place another cutting board or the bottom of a pan on them and give a gentle downward push to crack the nuts.
This salad is nice to start a meal with, or you can sub out the beets for apples and add the cheese and have it after the entrée. Pulling the beets and using a dressing made with Japanese rice vinegar and a couple drops of sesame oil is great when avocado and large steamed shrimp are added. When using this salad as a base for a meal-adding steak or chicken-use a dressing such as a Balsamic vinaigrette or a sherry and honey-mustard dressing. Adding sliced mushrooms, whether raw or sautéed and cooled, is a nice touch to go with the beef. Slices of baked tofu go well also.
Serves: 4 as a side salad, 2 as a generous main course salad.
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
