I love everything about this beats and carrot salad, the colors, the sweet and earthy flavors and the easy recipe for such a delicious side which pairs well with anything on the table. Besides being nutritious, its high in vitamins , minerals and fiber and low on calories.
Beets have a myriad of culinary possibilities and can be used and enjoyed in several ways, including raw, boiled, steamed, juiced, roasted, and pickled. But many avoid beets to skip a messy ordeal, unaware of its amazing health benefits and delicious taste of roasted beets. Steaming or boiling beets helps to soften the flesh of the firm beet, but roasting beets helps to caramelize the natural sugars within the vegetable, giving it an intense glorious flavor.
Julia Child also advocated that “the only way to cook a beet is in a roasting pan in the oven, doused with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and splash of red wine…..it will be done in a jiff and absolutely glorious”
Ingredients
- Beets- 3 large, peeled and sliced to strips
- Olive oil-1 tablespoon
- Kosher Salt- to taste
- Fresh Black Pepper- 1 tsp or more
- Balsamic Vinegar-1 tablespoon
- Thai Green Chilies- 3, slit (can be substituted with jalapenos)
- Carrots- 2, grated
- Cilantro- for garnish (optional)
Tools
- Cast iron skillet – recommended.
Method
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place beets in cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 18-20 minutes until beets are just about done cooking. Remove cast iron skillet from oven, set on the stove and add balsamic vinegar and slit green chilies. If you want to keep it simple, you can do all the roasting of beets in a cast iron skillet with a lid on the stovetop itself. I do both ways for delicious outcome either ways.
- After adding balsamic vinegar, cook for additional few minutes as edges start to caramelize. Just before serving the dish, add the grated carrots to the pan and toss it around and cook for additional few minutes.( If you add the carrots way early before serving time, the beets can bleed to the carrots and change the bright color contrast of the dish.)
- Check for salt and add if required. Remove from heat, serve in a white serving dish, and add cilantro to garnish.
- The recipe is not only visibly beautiful, but delicious and healthy.
