Roasted Beet Salad Recipe

Preheat and prep

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Trim beet greens leaving about 1/2 inch of stem to prevent bleeding; scrub beets under cold water to remove dirt but leave skin intact.

Season and roast

Toss whole beets with 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil (or place in a covered roasting pan). Roast on a rimmed baking sheet for 45–60 minutes, until a paring knife slides easily into the center. Time depends on beet size.

Cool and slice

Remove beets from oven and let cool until you can handle them (20–30 minutes). Use your hands or a paper towel to rub off skins (they should slip off). Slice roasted beets into 1/4-inch rounds. Reserve 2 cups of sliced beets for quick pickling (see next section) and the remainder for the salad if desired.

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup red wine vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 tbs sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp black peppercorns. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups thinly sliced roasted beets into a clean jar or bowl. Pour the warm pickling liquid over the beets, ensuring they are submerged. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (preferably 3–4 hours) before using. Pickled beets will keep refrigerated up to 1 week.

In a small bowl or jar combine 2 tbs red wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbs minced shallot, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Whisk while slowly streaming in 3 tbs olive oil until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning. If dressing is too sharp, add a little more honey; if too thick, thin with up to 1 tbs water.

Prepare sunflower sprouts: spread 3 cups sunflower sprouts onto a platter or divide among 4 plates (see servings).

Prepare avocado: halve, pit and thinly slice 1 avocado crosswise, fan slices slightly and sprinkle with a light pinch of salt to taste.

Dress greens sparingly: drizzle about half of the red wine vinaigrette over the sunflower sprouts and gently toss or press to lightly coat. Reserve the remainder for finishing.

Layer beets and avocado: arrange a mixture of roasted beet slices and 1/2–1 cup of the pickled beet slices over the greens. Distribute avocado slices on top.

Finish and season: scatter 3 tsp dukkah over the assembled salad, crumble 1 oz goat cheese or feta evenly if using, and finish with 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and a grind of black pepper. Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette as needed or serve on the side.

Serve: serve immediately so sunflower sprouts remain crisp. Leftover dressing and pickled beets can be refrigerated separately.