As the weather gets warmer I crave whatever food doesn’t require me turning on my oven and heating up the already warm house. My go-to is a salad most days and this one is my very favorite. Did I mention it is simple to make? If I ever see this salad on a menu, I can almost guarantee it will be part of my meal. Because I have ordered so many beet salads, each with their own unique twist, I felt I had sampled enough to try my hand at my own recipe and thus this little gem was born. I love to cook. Honestly, I like to think of my cooking style as that of an old world European grandmother cooking for her large family many generations ago somewhere in the countryside swatting away fingers that are eager for a taste with my trusty wooden spoon. That’s just my fancy way of saying I very rarely measure, even if I’m reading from a recipe 😳. I have a very deep love and appreciation for food and I like flavor to dictate my decisions so I typically cook by intuition. Admittedly, there might be an ounce of laziness sprinkled in there—but this is a safe space and we don’t judge. That being said, it felt a little selfish to keep this one to myself so I broke out the measuring spoons just for you. Now you can replicate this must-try recipe. I’ll just say “you’re welcome” in advance, because it is that good.

Ingredients:

• 3-5 Beets depending on size
• Arugula
• Goat Cheese
• Pistachios (shelled and salted)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 3/4 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions:

Let’s be real, sometimes we don’t like to be told what to do. If that’s your vibe today, then consider these mere culinary suggestions. 😂

Cut the greens off of the beets leaving approximately 1 to 2 inches of the stem. (The greens are a great source of nutrients and can be saved and used in another recipe as a replacement for spinach or kale.) Rinse and scrub with a vegetable brush to remove all dirt and debris. Place in a large pot and fill covering the beets fully plus an additional inch of water. Boil 20 minutes and then check the beets periodically until they are tender enough to easily puncture with a fork. The time it takes for the beets to fully cook can be anywhere between 20 to 40 minutes depending on the size so you’ll just have to keep checking.

Once the beets are fully cooked, drain into a colander and rinse with cold water. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, use a paper towel and peel the beets under running water to avoid staining. Once peeled, trim and thinly slice the beets.

Combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey and salt into a glass mason jar with lid. Shake vigorously until combined (alternatively whisk vigorously in a bowl). Pour approximately 1 tbsp over 1/2 cup arugula and toss to combine.

After dressing the arugula, assemble the salad to your desired aesthetic and taste. I typically line the arugula with beets that are slightly overlapping and then top with 3 tbsp of goat cheese and about 1 tbsp of chopped pistachios.

Now for the best part: Enjoy!

Tips:

I make the full batch of dressing to have on hand, but I dress and assemble each salad on demand. I’m usually only making one or two salads at a time so I simply refrigerate the separate ingredients after use. This recipe should yield 6-8 individual salads for an easy lunch throughout the week.

Being a root vegetable, beets are available all year round but are at their best June-October. I live in coastal California so they’re always around and honestly there isn’t a huge difference in the quality from season to season as we have fairly consistent weather.

Now for the irony, I prefer to cook with golden beets because it’s less mess and I don’t have to worry about red-stained hands or surfaces. In fact, I’ve been making this salad for the last two weeks with golden beets! Low and behold I need to take a picture and the golden beets have vanished so I was forced to go with red. Fear not, as long as you rinse your beets in the sink as you peel, you won’t get any staining.