Beets, among the sweetest of vegetables, lend themselves beautifully to salads. Here, they’re roasted for even more intense flavor, then dressed with a simple orange vinaigrette that’s scented with cumin. You can roast the beets ahead if you like; refrigerate them until you’re ready to assemble the salad. Trim the beet stem to 1 inch before roasting.
6 small beets
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups young arugula leaves or watercress sprigs
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
VINAIGRETTE
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Rub beets with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; place in shallow baking dish.
2. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until beets are tender and easily pierced with tip of knife. Cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients.
4. Peel beets; cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place in medium bowl. Toss with 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.
5. Divide arugula evenly among 4 salad plates. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Top with beets and orange peel.
4 servings
PER SERVING: 100 calories, 4.5 g total fat (.5 g saturated fat), 2.5 g protein, 14.5 g carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 165 mg sodium, 2 g fiber