Enjoy this spicy Beet Salad with Glazed Pecans all fall long! Did you know beets (short for beetroot) come in a wide range of colors – yellow, white and even a candy cane red and white variety known as Chioggia? I also learned recently that a majority of the world’s sugar comes from beet sugar and not necessarily cane sugar. Who would’ve thought?!!
How to make Beet Salad with Glazed Pecans
Although beets have been around since the early 1500s, the beet salad with glazed pecans or cheese (feta, blue, goat cheese, etc.) combination became popular in the early 1980s in San Francisco and Hollywood by combinations made by chefs like Wolfgang Puck.
Equipment
I use this convenient salad dressing shaker which includes measurements on the siding. It has a great spout for drizzling dressing, too!
OXO Good Grips Salad Dressing Shaker Bottle (Dishwasher-safe and Leak Proof)
Steps
For the beet salad base
Overall, this is a very simple recipe. I didn’t try to stray too much from the popular beet and cheese combination because they complement the earthy notes of the beets really well.
- The first step is to roast the beets. I made aluminum foil packets to seal the beets. The advantage of the foil packets lets the beets steam in addition to roast. This helps concentrate the cumin flavoring of the beets.
- While you could peel the beets and chop prior to roasting, you will have more uniform chunks of beets if you first roast the beets, then peel and chop. Also, the beets are easier to peel and chop after they are soft.
- After the beets are roasted, it’s a simple step to combine them with the other salad ingredients.
- For the pecans in this recipe, I used my keto glazed pecans recipe. The added spiciness from these pecans complemented the salad very well. But if you didn’t want to go through the trouble of glazing pecans, you could use plain pecans or sliced almonds instead.
For beet salad dressing
- It’s incredibly easy to combine four ingredients to make this salad dressing. Toasting the cumin seeds in extra olive oil helps to diffuse the cumin flavor throughout the oil, ensuring every bite pops with flavor.
- Some people strain out the seeds after toasting them, but I did not.
FUN FACT: According to chef Andrew Carmellini, dressing your beet salad while it’s warm helps absorb the flavors better. Then do another round of dressing just before serving.
What other toppings can I use
I used mozzarella cheese, but you could easily use hard or soft goat cheese, blue cheese, or even chunks of brie. Instead of using cumin seeds to season the beets and salad dressing, you could substitute a different spice, such as thyme.
Pairing Suggestions
Many salad vegetables, a variety of cheeses (goat, mozzarella, blue cheese, brie), apples, carrots. If you are following a keto diet, opt for a lower carb entrée like my roasted chicken.
Storage
This salad is best fresh, but it can be stored without the dressing for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. The beet juice will make the arugula lose some crunch, but we still enjoyed the salad days after preparing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beets are a root vegetable. They are rich in manganese, folate, and antioxidants.
You can eat shredded raw beets. But if you try to eat chunks of beet, they are usually too tough to eat raw.
Many salad vegetables, a variety of cheeses (goat, mozzarella, blue cheese, brie), apples, carrots.
Any root vegetable will lose healthy nutrients the longer it is steamed or boiled. The best method is to cook under medium heat and checking at periodic intervals for desired softness.
While they are both common ingredients in curry dishes, curry and turmeric have little in common. Turmeric is more bitter and less sweet and spicy in its flavor profile. Turmeric contains curcumin, but curcumin itself is not cumin. In its raw form, turmeric has a root appearance similar to ginger. Cumin is harvested as seeds.
Beet Salad with Glazed Pecans
Equipment
- Salad shaker
- Knife
- Serving Tray
Ingredients
For Beet Salad
- 6 Beets (Beetroot) ,medium size
- 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
- 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese, Grated
- ¼ White Onion
- 1.5 cup Glazed Pecans
- 8 oz Arugula ,or any other spring greens mix
- Salt ,as desired
- Pepper ,as desired
For Dressing
- ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 tsp Swerve ,granular (or any other sugar free sweetener)
- 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
Instructions
- Place beets in groups of two on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, cumin seeds, and salt and pepper.
- Fold the aluminum foil in half lengthwise and join the edges over the beets, rolling the edges down securely. Fold the opposite edges of the aluminum foil inwards, sealing the ends. Repeat with the other beets, making a total of 3 aluminum foil packets with 2 beets each.
- Roast at 400°F for around one hour, until the beets are easily pierced with a fork. After they are soft, remove from the foil and let cool. Then, remove the skins and chop the beets.
- While the beets roast, chop the mozzarella cheese and white onion. Add cheese, onion, pecans, and chopped roasted beets to arugula/spring greens mix.
- Make the dressing by combining balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Swerve and cumin seeds. Shake the mix and immediately pour over the salad prior to serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- This salad is best fresh, but it can be stored without the dressing for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- You could easily use hard or soft goat cheese, blue cheese, or even chunks of brie instead of mozzarella.
- Instead of using cumin seeds to season the beets and salad dressing, you could substitute a different spice, such as thyme.
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