My Favourite Beet Salad – Recipe + Health Benefits
The summer farmers’ markets are teeming with beautiful beets and their greens. While I really, really love beets, I especially love them when their nutritious green tops show up to the party.
Read on for a recipe for my absolute favourite beet salad and why it’s so good for you.
Health benefits:
- Beets are known as potent blood purifiers, friends to our livers, and providers of antioxidant support, thanks to their phytonutrient compounds called betalains. Betalains are lost when beets are cooked, so the shorter the cooking time, the better.
- When beets are cooked, beets become higher on the glycemic index, meaning they have a larger impact on our blood sugar. It’s best to include your cooked beets with a low glycemic vegetable, such as greens. Good thing they usually come with their tops! Beet greens are particularly high in the carotenoid nutrient beta carotene.
Serve this as a cold salad alongside some roast chicken or bean salad, and a generous helping of any other green vegetable.
Note: You’ll need a batch of Tarragon Vinaigrette for this recipe.
Beets and Greens Salad with Tarragon Dressing and Chevre
2015-10-13 07:42:35
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Ingredients
- 1 bunch of beets and greens (around four regular sized beets; if no beet greens are available substitute one bunch of Swiss chard)
- 1 batch Tarragon Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional) OR ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- tarragon leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Remove the beets from their stems and scrub. Steam in a steamer basket until soft, around 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash and chop the beet greens into 1” pieces. Add to the steamer basket on top of the beets and steam for one minute. Remove beets and greens and allow to cool.
- Once beets are cool, you may decide that you want to peel them (the peels will slip right off).
- Cut into small wedges, around eight wedges per beet, depending on the size (refer to the photos if you want some guidance)!
- Arrange beet greens on a platter and top with the beet wedges. Drizzle with Tarragon Vinaigrette, sprinkle goat cheese and tarragon leaves overtop, and serve.
Notes
- healthydelicious.ca
Healthy Delicious Toronto Nutrition http://healthydelicious.ca/v2/
Wishing you happy blue moons and delicious beet (and green) salads. xo Andrea
Andrea Sarjeant is a holistic nutritionist and yoga teacher. She’s passionate about helping people live their healthiest and most enjoyable lives possible. She believes in the art and science of nutrition – using kitchen alchemy, key nutrients and the magic of herbs to help her clients and readers achieve total health bliss.
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1 Comment
Joyce Curry
August 22, 2013Excellent thanks.
Joyce