Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Serves Four
This salad brings the drama! There are quite a few steps to complete before assembling this beauty, but she’s worth it. Roasted beets are the star here, but farro, candied walnuts, and goat cheese make it a meal.
Follow the steps below for roasting and freezing* beets and enjoy this bright salad throughout the year.
Ingredients:
4 large beets, roasted1/4 cup candied walnuts2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled4 cups mixed greens1/4 cup farro
Vinaigrette: 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard 1 lemon, juiced1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar2 Tablespoons of olive oilKosher salt and pepper to taste
Candied Walnuts:1/4 unsalted walnuts1 teaspoon unsalted butter1 tablespoon granulated sugarPinch of salt
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. 2. To roast the beets, trim the tops and bottoms. Wrap each beet in tinfoil. Add 1 tablespoon of water to each packet. Secure tightly and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 3. Roast beets at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 4. After 40 minutes, remove the pan and check each beet for doneness and moisture. I do this with a toothpick. I’m looking for a very tender beet—the same tenderness of a fluffy baked potato. If they are not tender, make sure there is still liquid in each packet. Add more water as needed, and return the beets to the oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes.5. Continue checking the beets every 20 minutes for doneness and moisture. Remove each beet as it is done and allow to cool to room temperature in the opened packet. Some beets may take as long as 2 hours to become tender. Be patient—they’re worth the wait. 6. While the beets are roasting, cook the farro. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. 7. Once the water is boiling, add a big pinch of salt and 1/4 cup farro to the water, stir and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until the farro is tender—about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and cool to room temperature. 8. While the farro is cooking and beets are roasting, make the candied walnuts. 9. Lay a piece of parchment paper on the counter or table. 10. Add butter, sugar, and salt to a very small sauté pan over medium low heat. (I use this butter warmer from Food 52.)11. Allow butter and sugar to melt, creating a caramel. Stir only occasionally. 12. Once the sugar has dissolved and caramelized, add walnuts and stir to coat. Work quickly here because the caramel will cool fast. 13. Remove from heat and pour the caramel and nuts onto the parchment. Quickly spread the nuts with a rubber spatula. Cool. 14. Once the beets are tender and cooled. Peel them carefully with a paring knife. The skin should slip off easily from the beet. Use the knife only as needed to actually cut the skin from the beet. 15. Quarter each beet. Depending on how large the beets are, you may want to cut each quarter in half. Season with salt.16. Mix the vinaigrette by combining the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the olive oil and mix to emulsify. Taste for seasoning. If too lemon-y, add a dash more mustard and mix well. 17. Assemble the salad by tossing 4 cups of mixed greens with half of the vinaigrette—with clean hands, massage the vinaigrette into the greens. 18. Top the salad with cooked farro, quartered beets, crumbled cheese, and candied walnuts. 19. Add additional vinaigrette as desired. Toss. Enjoy.
*To freeze roasted beets, place quartered, unsalted beets, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet, uncovered, in the freezer until the beets are frozen solid. Place frozen beets in a freezer bag—removing the air. When ready to enjoy, heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove desired number of beets from the freezer. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
4 large beets, roasted1/4 cup candied walnuts2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled4 cups mixed greens1/4 cup farro
Vinaigrette: 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard 1 lemon, juiced1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar2 Tablespoons of olive oilKosher salt and pepper to taste
Candied Walnuts:1/4 unsalted walnuts1 teaspoon unsalted butter1 tablespoon granulated sugarPinch of salt
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. 2. To roast the beets, trim the tops and bottoms. Wrap each beet in tinfoil. Add 1 tablespoon of water to each packet. Secure tightly and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 3. Roast beets at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 4. After 40 minutes, remove the pan and check each beet for doneness and moisture. I do this with a toothpick. I’m looking for a very tender beet—the same tenderness of a fluffy baked potato. If they are not tender, make sure there is still liquid in each packet. Add more water as needed, and return the beets to the oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes.5. Continue checking the beets every 20 minutes for doneness and moisture. Remove each beet as it is done and allow to cool to room temperature in the opened packet. Some beets may take as long as 2 hours to become tender. Be patient—they’re worth the wait. 6. While the beets are roasting, cook the farro. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. 7. Once the water is boiling, add a big pinch of salt and 1/4 cup farro to the water, stir and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until the farro is tender—about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and cool to room temperature. 8. While the farro is cooking and beets are roasting, make the candied walnuts. 9. Lay a piece of parchment paper on the counter or table. 10. Add butter, sugar, and salt to a very small sauté pan over medium low heat. (I use this butter warmer from Food 52.)11. Allow butter and sugar to melt, creating a caramel. Stir only occasionally. 12. Once the sugar has dissolved and caramelized, add walnuts and stir to coat. Work quickly here because the caramel will cool fast. 13. Remove from heat and pour the caramel and nuts onto the parchment. Quickly spread the nuts with a rubber spatula. Cool. 14. Once the beets are tender and cooled. Peel them carefully with a paring knife. The skin should slip off easily from the beet. Use the knife only as needed to actually cut the skin from the beet. 15. Quarter each beet. Depending on how large the beets are, you may want to cut each quarter in half. Season with salt.16. Mix the vinaigrette by combining the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the olive oil and mix to emulsify. Taste for seasoning. If too lemon-y, add a dash more mustard and mix well. 17. Assemble the salad by tossing 4 cups of mixed greens with half of the vinaigrette—with clean hands, massage the vinaigrette into the greens. 18. Top the salad with cooked farro, quartered beets, crumbled cheese, and candied walnuts. 19. Add additional vinaigrette as desired. Toss. Enjoy.
*To freeze roasted beets, place quartered, unsalted beets, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet, uncovered, in the freezer until the beets are frozen solid. Place frozen beets in a freezer bag—removing the air. When ready to enjoy, heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove desired number of beets from the freezer. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes.
