Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula and Gorgonzola Cheese

Beet Salad is one of those things that people are usually afraid to make because they think it’s too hard to cook beets or because they have never made them and just don’t know how. I want you to know that if you can bake a potato you can bake beets.  It’s the same principle.  The beets take on a very rich sweet flavor when they are baked.

I start by trimming the greens and the tips off of the beet and then wrapping them in foil and baking them.

Once they are done baking I let them cool about 15 minutes then I unwrap them and remove the skin using a paper towel so my hands don’t get too red. You can wear rubber gloves to do this too and that will prevent your skin from being stained pink. I also find that washing your hands quickly after this will remove it as well.

Once the skin is removed, you can cube the beets and add the remainder of the ingredients, minus the gorgonzola and the arugula. The beet salad can stay in the refrigerator for a day or two. When you are ready to serve, you can serve it over the arugula and sprinkle with the gorgonzola cheese and some extra olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula and Gorgonzola Cheese – Recipe

Makes about 10 servings as an appetizer.

——————

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh beets, roasted peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A dash of sugar to taste
• 1/2 cup of gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1 (10oz) bag of arugula

——————

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Wash beets and trim off stems. Wrap in foil and bake like baked potatoes on a cookie sheet for about 50-60 minutes or until a fork pierces through the beet easily.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove foil, then using a paper towel, rub the beets to remove the skin.  Cut into cubes and add to a bowl with the next 7 ingredients, minus the gorgonzola and arugula. Toss well.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve over arugula and sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.