This Simple Beet Arugula Salad is oh-so-elegant. It's gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free, and vegan.
When I eat this simple beet salad, I feel like I'm having lunch at a swanky restaurant.
Sitting on a bed of peppery baby arugula, the sweetness of the beets, the nuttiness of the lightly toasted chopped hazelnuts, and a silky citrus orange vinaigrette dressing make this salad feel like a high-end lunch or light dinner.
This salad won't leave you feeling like you need a pair of toothpicks to keep your eyelids open afterward.
Elegant Beet Arugula Salad has 8 key ingredients:
- Beets
- Arugula
- Hazelnuts
- Date
- Sunflower seeds
- Orange juice
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
How to make this beet salad
Trim beets, but don’t worry about peeling them just yet. Add the beet bulbs to a large pot with water. Bring to a gentle boil and allow to cook for about 45 minutes.
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While the beets are cooking, make the Orange Vinaigrette salad dressing by soaking the pitted date and sunflower seeds in hot water for 5 minutes to soften. Put the date, sunflower seeds, and the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Set aside.
When the beets are done cooking, rinse them with cool water. Using your hands, peel the skin off and rinse again if necessary—slice beets about ¼ inch thick.
Grab a plate or wide-rimmed bowl and add about two cups of baby arugula. Then arrange sliced beets on top.
Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add chopped hazelnuts and allow to warm but not cook through, about a minute or two. You want the nuts lightly toasted to bring out the flavor. The skin from the hazelnuts may come off, and that’s okay.
Sprinkle the toasted chopped hazelnuts on the salad, drizzle with the Orange Vinaigrette and enjoy.
Nutritionally, you can't "beet" the nitric oxide-boosting compounds in the arugula and beets. These compounds are very beneficial for heart and brain health. I hope you enjoy the taste and all the goodness it's doing to your body.
For another beet dish, check out Detox Beet Soup. Great for when you're feeling weak and fatigued or if you might be coming down with a cold.
Simple Beet Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets
- 4 cups arugula
- ¼ cup hazelnuts chopped
Orange Vinaigrette
- 1 date pitted and soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
- 1 Tbsp of sunflower seeds
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Trim beets, but don’t worry about peeling them just yet. Add the beet bulbs to a large pot with water. Bring to a gentle boil and allow to cook for about 45 minutes.
- While the beets are cooking, make the Orange Vinaigrette salad dressing by soaking the pitted date and sunflower seeds in hot water for 5 minutes to soften. Put the date, sunflower seeds, and the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- When the beets are done cooking, rinse them with cool water. Using your hands, peel the skin off and rinse again if necessary—slice beets about ¼ inch thick.
- Grab a plate or wide-rimmed bowl and add about two cups of baby arugula. Then arrange sliced beets on top.
- Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add chopped hazelnuts and allow to warm but not cook through, about a minute or two. You want the nuts lightly toasted to bring out the flavor. The skin from the hazelnuts may come off, and that’s okay.
- Sprinkle the toasted chopped hazelnuts on the salad, drizzle with the Orange Vinaigrette and enjoy.
Notes
EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Large pot
- Skillet
- Blender
Marie Nitz says
I made this last night for the family, our last dinner/movie night before they head out on the road for home. Everyone loved it! I will definitely make this again