Sunshine Beet Salad

I love beets. My husband, not so much. But I don’t know what to do with them when I buy them. Until recently, when I found myself at a Farmer’s Market looking at a beautiful basket of yellow beets. They seemed to be calling my name, and since my husband wasn’t around to stop me, I bought a small bunch.

When I caught up with my husband, he asked me what I had in the bag. I avoided his eyes. “Beets,” I muttered. He got a very guarded look on his face before he asked the obvious question.

“And what are you going to do with them?” “Darned if I know,” I replied. But I knew I’d think of something, or these lovely golden beauties would end up like all of the other beets I buy. Shriveled up in the compost.

I didn’t want that to happen, so I did some research when I got home, collected a few ideas, made my own special changes, (of course), and viola! A fresh salad with beets that even my husband loves. I call it my Sunshine Beet Salad, because I swear, when my husband ate it, I saw the light!

 

Sunshine Beet Salad

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

2 TBSP lemon juice

Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

3 small golden beets

1 16 oz bag fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup diced red onions

1/2 cups toasted slivered almonds

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients. Peel and thinly slice the beets. You can use a mandoline, but the little ninja in me really loves holding sharp objects like a knife. Besides, I had a bad experience once with a mandoline, but I digress. Toss the beets with the dressing and refrigerate for an hour or two. The vinaigrette will tenderize the beets. Toss with the baby spinach and red onion. Sprinkle with almonds just before serving. For an interesting twist, try adding a small amount of feta cheese on top. In Cheryl’s Kitchen, the rules are there are no rules. Especially when it comes to beets. Enjoy!