Beet and Orange Salad Recipe with Goat Cheese and Chives

We were inspired by a visit to the Post Ranch Inn in California to create this beet and orange salad recipe. Post Ranch Inn has its own garden that supplies much of their restaurant’s ingredients. It makes a big difference, as you don’t need to do much when the ingredients are so fresh. Beets are one of those ingredients that people either love or not like so much. This recipe though has a few tricks that might convert even the most ardent beet-adverse. First, by roasting them at a high temperature, the natural sweetness of the vegetable comes to the forefront. Then, pairing them with rich goat cheese, a bright vinaigrette, and the spicy bite of chives adds flavors that elevate the entire dish.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2golden or red beets, scrubbed and trimmed
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 navel or kara kara oranges
1 11-oz goat cheese log
3 tablespoons chives, sliced thin
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 cup frisèe
2 cups arugula
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

The most complicated part of this beet and orange salad recipe will be to roast and peel the beets. We’ll make it easy for you though and you can peel the beets after they’re cooked. Drizzle each beet with 1 or 2 teaspoons of olive oil and wrap individually in tinfoil. Place beets on sheet pan and bake until tender but still firm, about 1 hour depending on size of beets. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Prep the Beets

Using a paper towel, peel skin off beets. If you have plastic disposable gloves, use them or else color will stain your skin.  The skin should come right off. Slice each beet into 6 equal pieces, place in a bowl, cover with saran, and chill.

The second part of the beet and orange salad recipe is the orange. This part is easy though. The only finer point is to supreme the orange, which is a technique that takes out all the white and skins. Cut 4 oranges into supremes and place in a small bowl. Wrap with Saran and chill.

Make the Vinaigrette

Cut remaining orange in half and squeeze out juice into small bowl. Add mustard, shallots, and pinch of salt and gradually whisk in olive oil. Set vinaigrette aside. You’ll use this in the last step of the beet and orange salad recipe.

Prep the Goat Cheese

Place entire goat cheese log on a cutting board or clean work surface. Sprinkle all sides evenly with chives and cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Assemble the Salad

The last part of the beet and orange salad recipe is to assemble it. In a medium bowl, mix arugula and frisèe. Add a few tablespoons of vinaigrette and mix greens gently. Season with salt and pepper and divide evenly among 4 serving plates. Drizzle another few tablespoons of vinaigrette to beets, mix, season, and add to serving plates. Add oranges and goat cheese and serve.

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