So it’s been a while since I posted a recipe and it’s basically because I started a newish gig that involves some travel and lots of catered lunches. All I can say is that I’m loving the job and maybe a little too much as some of my pants have gotten a wee bit snug (granted, I’m heavily invested in skinny jeans and have not said no to anything delicious in like 3 months). With the weather warming up and the awesomeness of summer around the corner, I think it’s time to light up both my caloric intake and wardrobe palette of all black.
A gorgeous salad inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty and Plenty More cookbooks, two of my fave vegetarian resources
I’m really craving a fresh springy salad and love this pretty green and pinky purple salad of beets, celery and fresh herbs. A little goat cheese and a few pumpkin seeds add some tasty texture and all around this salad is both beautiful and satisfying. It’s dead easy to prepare, mostly chopping veggies and boiling the beets. The dressing is super simple too which lets the flavours of the fresh ingredients take centre stage.
It would also be great with grilled shrimp or chicken breast for a heartier meal.
Celery is really one of the star ingredients here. Like if this salad was the Oscars, the beets would be Julianne Moore and the celery would be Patricia Arquette. Celery is so rarely a feature ingredient in anything.
Usually, it’s next to some chicken wings and ranch sauce or part of the flavour base of soups and sauces. But not here. Besides being low calorie, celery has many nutritional benefits including high in fibre, anti-oxidants, and vitamins K, A, C and folate and potassium. Beets are superfoods too great for fighting inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and rich in nutrients among other things. A double win here people.
Herbed Beet and Celery Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 3 large beets (peeled and cut into 1/2" wedges)
- 6 stalks of celery
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 1/4 red onion (finely sliced)
- 6 to 8 radishes (thin sliced into rounds or matchsticks)
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac plus more for garnish
- Pinch of fresh ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a medium pot of water to boil on high heat. Add beets to boiling water and reduce heat to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until beets are tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.
- While the water is boiling, prepare a large bowl filled with cold water and a cup of ice. When the beets are done, strain and immerse in the cold ice water to stop cooking. Drain beets and set aside.
- Meanwhile, slice celery and red onions in thin slices. Tear cilantro and parsley leaves from stems. Make dressing - add all the ingredients together in a small bowl and stir vigorously until combined.
- Once the beets are cooked and everything is chopped, add the beets, celery, parsley, cilantro, red onions, and radishes and dressing. Stir gently to combine.
- Top with goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and additional sumac and fresh ground pepper before serving.
I just made this, and it is DELICIOUS! I didn’t have white wine vinegar, so I used apple cider vinegar; no sumac, so I used a little bit of lemon juice; the apple cider vinegar is a bit more tart, so I added a little more honey, and I also added a little bit of salt. So fresh and yummy! Thanks for a great recipe!