This chopped salad was inspired by my incessant need to not let anything go to waste, that includes beet greens. Truth be told, though, if I was able to somehow suppress this part of me, I would overlook these hardy, dark leafy greens and head straight for the individual beetroots every time. I try searching for the "perfect" looking ones (sound familiar?) even though such efforts may be pointless. Or are they? 😉 Nonetheless, I have my ways. Enter the merciless peeler, able to make quick work of any and all imperfections.
In my CSA box were these gorgeous beets, and just like that, the greens were thrust into my face. I guess I needed this in-your-face encounter, as I had somehow forgotten how much I had enjoyed my last experience with them - Orange, Farro, and Beet green Salad.
Not only did I have the red ones with the greens, I also had some extra orange beetroots. While many sources recommend roasting the whole root (here's a great tutorial), sometimes I prefer to peel the skins, cut the roots into bite-sized pieces, coat them in some oil, and then roast them in the oven. Not only will the beets turn out crunchier but this method also cuts down on the roasting time. I can enjoy my beets soft as well as toothsome, so the method I use really depends on my mood that day. If I'm stressed out and feeling anxious, texture is always preferred. Always.
As for the beet greens, I gave them a good rinse under cold water, ripped the leaves from the stems, dried them thoroughly, and then chopped them pretty small. To give this salad more body and protein for a sustaining power to last me several hours after my meal, I threw in some quinoa and chickpeas. The cherry tomatoes were sort of an afterthought. I had them on hand, so why not?
Now for the dressing.. I pondered long and hard about which one would be the most appropriate. A bold dressing was definitely in order to withstand and somewhat mask the bitter and assertive flavors of the greens. Enter this tangy Green Goddess Dressing. Although it may seem like a lot of ingredients, all you need to do is dump them into the food processor and give them a good whirl. You'll notice that I used dill, but you can certainly use basil as the original recipe suggests. I just happened to have some extra dill (actually tons of it) leftover from this celeriac and kohlrabi rösti. Pour as little or as much of the dressing onto the salad as you wish, and save the rest for later. I probably ended up adding about ¼ cup for my serving.
Add this salad to your list of make-ahead meals as it can sit in the fridge for several days. Since it's just me and the Hungryman here, we enjoyed this for a good majority of our week.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of beets including fresh greens
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 cup quinoa cooked and cooled
- 1 cup chickpeas
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- Green Goddess Dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove the tops and roots of the beets, and peel each one with a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets into 1 in. chunks. Place the beets on a baking sheet. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper and roast for about 25-30 minutes, until beets are tender.
- In the meanwhile, clean, dry, and chop off the red stems. Chop the greens and place them in a large bowl.
- Prepare the dressing.
- Add quinoa, chickpeas, and tomatoes to bowl of greens. Toss with generous amounts of dressing.
Regina @ Leelalicious says
I really enjoyed this salad! I had to improvise a bit subbing lentils for chickpeas and brown rice for quinoa (its what I had) and it was great. Still have a lot of dressing but no more beet greens. So this ignited a warm salad lunch-series in this house 🙂
Min says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the salad, Regina! yay for not wasting any beet greens ;). I appreciate you taking the time to let me know! And once again, thank you for including me in your awesome beet round-up.
Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal says
This dish was very interesting. I am not a beet lover, and the only beets I have tried were candied. Let's just say I didn't get the candied part, but this salad looks really good.
Thanks for linking up at the Ultimate Linky Party!
Trisha says
I love all the fresh and colorful ingredients in this salad, and the green goddess dressing looks divine!
Min says
Thank you so much, Trisha! Hope you give this recipe a try ;).
Joanne says
Kudos to you for really using all the edible parts of the beet! Now I'm thinking about all the veggie greens I've tossed in the past and am feeling a bit guilty!
The salad is absolutely gorgeous and I want to drink that dressing!
Julie says
This salad looks great. Although we've been eating lots of beets, I haven't tried the greens. I've been a little afraid of them, worried they would be too bitter. Maybe will give them a try with this salad. I also have a nice big bunch of fresh dill at the moment, and I don't like basil, so will try your modified dressing. I've never had green goddess dressing. Have only heard of it recently.
Julie @ Lovely Little Kitchen says
The fact that you can't let the greens go to waste even though you'd like to makes you all the more endearing. What a beautiful salad. You make me want to try something new!
ellie @ fit for the soul says
Oh yummmm I love the look of this salad! I always did wonder if I could use those greens. Oh my goodness, we're total korean ahjummmas in that sense, lol!!!
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Min, love how you explained cooking beets! I've never cooked with beetroots before, so next time when I do, i'll remember your explanation - i think I'll prefer peeling them first and roasting like u mentioned!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
roasted beets and greens both sounds delicious! beautiful pictures.
EA-The Spicy RD says
Gorgeous salad Min, and I love that you incorporated the entire beet! I used to save the greens for our guinea pigs, but they passed away (after a food long life 🙂 recently, so now I need to start incorporating them in to our meals too. I'll also have to try pre-chopping my beets sometime as you suggest. BUT, that is for another day, as I am off to roast some baby carrots for a salad right now 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
Min says
Haha! I do the same with my black scavenger Kona. He doesn't seem to like the dark leafy greens as much though. Hope you had a wonderful mother's day!!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
I love how you made this beautiful salad with the beets and leftover beet greens. I have a hard time thinking of ways to use leftover greens, but this salad is perfect. I hope you are having a great week, Min!
Min says
Thanks, Ashley! I have the same problem as well. Hope you give this salad a try ;). So sad the weekend's already over…always goes by so fast!