Beet, Escarole, Walnut And Goat Cheese Salad With Orange Vinaigrette
serves 2-4
This elegant salad gets its goodness from the range of flavors: sweet, earthy beets, pungent shallot, sour vinegar, sweet and sour orange, slightly bitter olive oil, meaty nuts, bitter escarole and soft, rich cheese. The varied tastes contrast with each other in a dynamic combination.
4-6 medium beets
1 shallot, minced
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
1 bunch escarole, chopped
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
prep: 1 hour
total: 1 hour 10 minutes
baking sheet
whisk
small skillet
large bowl
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut off and discard any beet stalks. Scrub and dry the beets. Put them on a baking sheet and roast until a sharp knife easily pierces them, 40-60 minutes. Set them aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, mince the shallot and put it in a bowl with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, the vinegar and the orange juice. Set aside and let the vinegar mellow the shallot's flavor while the beets roast. Just before dressing the salad, whisk in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies.
3. Roughy chop the walnuts and put them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat them, tossing often, until they darken and smell toasted, 4-6 minutes. Prep the escarole.
4. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them by rubbing their skins with a paper towel. (The skin should come off easily and the paper towel will help keep your hands from staining.) Cut the beets into 1/4-inch slices.
5. Put the beets, escarole and walnuts into a salad bowl and toss with a little of the vinaigrette at a time until the escarole tastes good. Crumble in the goat cheese and toss. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, mince the shallot and put it in a bowl with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, the vinegar and the orange juice. Set aside and let the vinegar mellow the shallot's flavor while the beets roast. Just before dressing the salad, whisk in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies.
3. Roughy chop the walnuts and put them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat them, tossing often, until they darken and smell toasted, 4-6 minutes. Prep the escarole.
4. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them by rubbing their skins with a paper towel. (The skin should come off easily and the paper towel will help keep your hands from staining.) Cut the beets into 1/4-inch slices.
5. Put the beets, escarole and walnuts into a salad bowl and toss with a little of the vinaigrette at a time until the escarole tastes good. Crumble in the goat cheese and toss. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
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