The usual instruction for making beet salads is to assemble it in the last minute and sometimes on individual plates, because the beets tend to dye the rest of the ingredients. Actually, no, you can assemble the salad a couple of hours ahead and in a large salad bowl, if you follow a few simple steps. Make sure none of the ingredients are wet and the bowl and utensils you are using are completely dry. Eventually the beets will colour the orange segments, so don’t make more than you can consume with one meal.
2 medium sized beets
4 large spinach leaves
1 mandarin orange
several thin slices of red onion
sprinkling of chopped nuts of choice [optional]
Dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp French mustard
salt and pepper to taste
• Wash the beets and cut off the ends.
• Peel them. Your hands will stain, but it will wash off easily.
• Dice them uniform with a chef’s knife.
• Place in a small pot and cover with water.
• Bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer and place a lid on the pot. How long you cook them will depend on the size of your beets.
• Cook them until beets can be pierced with a fork, but do not overcook.
• While the beets are cooking time to make the dressing.
• In a small lidded jar place the wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and the pepper.
• Shake it to combine.
• When the beets are ready, pour off the water and plunge beets into a large bowl of cold water.
• Drain the beets in a large metal sieve. Repeat the cold water bath and drain again.
• Keep the beets in the sieve and let them dry a little.
• Meanwhile, wash the spinach leaves and cut off the center membranes. Discard the membranes.
• Place the leaves on one half of a clean tea towel.
• Fold the tea towel over and press down to soak up the water.
• Tear the spinach leaves into smaller pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Place two layers of paper towel on the counter and turn the dry beets onto it.
• Arrange the beets in a single layer and let them dry a little more.
• In the meantime thinly slice the onion and chop the mandarin orange.
• Add the onions and the mandarin orange pieces to the spinach leaves.
• When the beets are dry, add them to the mixing bowl.
• Gently toss and transfer the mix to a dry salad bowl.
• Serve the salad with the prepared dressing.
4 large spinach leaves
1 mandarin orange
several thin slices of red onion
sprinkling of chopped nuts of choice [optional]
Dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp French mustard
salt and pepper to taste
• Wash the beets and cut off the ends.
• Peel them. Your hands will stain, but it will wash off easily.
• Dice them uniform with a chef’s knife.
• Place in a small pot and cover with water.
• Bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer and place a lid on the pot. How long you cook them will depend on the size of your beets.
• Cook them until beets can be pierced with a fork, but do not overcook.
• While the beets are cooking time to make the dressing.
• In a small lidded jar place the wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and the pepper.
• Shake it to combine.
• When the beets are ready, pour off the water and plunge beets into a large bowl of cold water.
• Drain the beets in a large metal sieve. Repeat the cold water bath and drain again.
• Keep the beets in the sieve and let them dry a little.
• Meanwhile, wash the spinach leaves and cut off the center membranes. Discard the membranes.
• Place the leaves on one half of a clean tea towel.
• Fold the tea towel over and press down to soak up the water.
• Tear the spinach leaves into smaller pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Place two layers of paper towel on the counter and turn the dry beets onto it.
• Arrange the beets in a single layer and let them dry a little more.
• In the meantime thinly slice the onion and chop the mandarin orange.
• Add the onions and the mandarin orange pieces to the spinach leaves.
• When the beets are dry, add them to the mixing bowl.
• Gently toss and transfer the mix to a dry salad bowl.
• Serve the salad with the prepared dressing.
