Beet & Blueberry Salad with Walnuts & Mint

Recipe from KitchenGenius

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 8 (1 cup servings)

This stunningly beautiful salad will wow your guests.  When the local blueberries are plentiful and the young beets are ready, you MUST make this salad.  Save yourself some time and roast the beets a day or two in advance.  You can also make the vinaigrette in advance as well.  Purple/blue foods like beets and blueberries are packed with antioxidants that help fight inflammation and will boost your immune system too!

For the vinaigrette: (Can be prepared in advance.)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

3 large beets (2 lbs.), roasted and peeled* (Can be prepared in advance.)

4 cups blueberries

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted**

½ cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese or blue cheese

Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl.  Set aside while preparing the salad.  In a large bowl or on a rimmed platter, gently toss together the beets, blueberries, walnuts and mint.  (Do this with a light hand because you won’t want to crush the berries.) Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss again to coat. Sprinkle the salad with the cheese and serve.

*How to Roast Beets:  To roast the beets, preheat the oven to 400.  Place a piece of foil on a baking sheet.  Place a piece of parchment paper on top of that.  Put the beets in the center and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss the beets to coat.  Fold the foil/parchment in a loose-fitting but tightly sealed packet around the beets.  Roast the packet on the baking sheet until the beets are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. (This might take longer if the beets are large.)  Let the beets cool completely in the foil/parchment. When cool, use a paring knife to peel and slice he beets into wedges or bite-sized chunks. (It’s best to wear an apron and rubber gloves for this because beet juice will stain everything!) Beets can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.

**How to Toast Walnuts:  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Arrange the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven.  Roast until browned and crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. 

Nutritional Info:  (1 cup serving) 264 calories; 15 g fat (3 g saturated fat); 7 mg cholesterol; 173 g sodium; 29 g carbohydrates; 6 g fiber; 7 g protein