Vibrant, fresh and delicious, this Beet Salad with Caraway Orange Dressing and Mixed Greens is a refined and nutritious salad packed with antioxidants and vitamins. It's a celebration of colours, textures and flavours.

My dear friends, beet lovers and non-beet lovers, this beautiful salad is what you need in your life this season. You can call it “this season" every season. :) Winter, or not, beets are fantastic. So many benefits to these vividly coloured root veggies.

I've been in love with beets since I was a child, and I can't understand people who are not beet fans. I really think they're missing out if you ask me. Yes, they have a strong earthy taste, and perhaps juicing beets is a more pleasant alternative for some, but also cooking beets in a certain way can make a difference. Pairing beets with the right ingredients, herbs, seeds or spices can change the mind of a beet skeptic.

Today I'm bringing this recipe to you that is one of my favourite ways of serving beets. I include beets in my diet at least once a week just because I love them, and I find great benefits in consuming them.

I encourage you to try this combination and introduce this new salad in your home. Just give it a try!

The beet-orange combination is one tasty pairing, and when you through caraway seeds in the mix, it's impressive.

And, can we talk about the variety of textures and colours in this salad? Just look at it? I know that you want to devour it, or am I just a little bit too enthusiastic about it? :) Reality is I'm excited about my veggies, and I promise that I'm the same way in real day-to-day life. I think it has to do with my upbringing and that my parents did cook a variety of veggies in our house.

If roasting beets is something you don't do, please feel free to get the store-bought vacuumed packed cooked beets or whatever version of cooked beets is on your market. I usually love to roast my own beets because I always use the green parts to make veggie stock. I'm not throwing away any part of it.

Star Ingredients:

- Beets. Sweet, very earth notes, crisp texture, high in vitamin C and fibre, rich in calcium, a great iron source with many anti-inflammatory benefits, and detox properties.

- Oranges. Sweet and sour with juicy texture, known for vitamin C's high content, aid for good digestion, a good source of fibre, vitamins B1, B9 (folic acid), and potassium. Best consumed raw and organic-grown.

- Caraway Seeds. Aromatic, sweet and bitter, nutty and with notes of licorice. They're an excellent topping addition to fresh salads and paring to root vegetables.

Health & Flavour-Boosting Recipe Tips:

- Beets can be consumed raw or cooked. Cooked beets don't need peeling (depending on preference). The top green parts of the root vegetable are full of health benefits, and they bring a lot of sweetness when prepared in a soup or veggie stock.

- Organic-grown oranges are recommended due to their higher vitamin C. Conventionally grown oranges are sprayed with insecticides and other chemicals. Fruit and veggie spray wash is recommended to clean the oranges before consumption. Orange juice is a healthy way of replacing conventional sugar in a diet and a great ingredient in marinades or salad dressings.

- Caraway seeds are an ample aromatic seed, especially when paired with root vegetables. It also pairs well with other aromatic herbs like nutmeg and nuts like pumpkin seeds. Toasted caraway seeds bring a depth of flavour to a dish, especially vegetables.

Alternative Ingredients:

- Beets. If beets are not preferred, replace them with another earthy root vegetable like yams or carrots. Both yams and carrots pair very well with oranges.

- Oranges. Mandarins or tangerines can be the next very best alternative to oranges. They're part of the same citrus family and can bring the same sweetness and texture to a dish.

- Caraway seeds. Cumin seeds or fennel seeds can be used as the next best alternative.

Serving Suggestions:

- Topping the salad with more caraway seeds complements the textures and flavours of the salad. Only a little amount is sufficient to sprinkle on top – a pinch recommended.

- Nuts and protein topping options are recommended to make the salad a nutritionally complete meal.

I really hope you'll give this beautiful salad a try, and let me know how you've enjoyed it. Besides the fact that it's pretty looking, the health benefits are many, just as I've mentioned in the intro part. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I love to get your valuable feedback or recipe questions. I meant it. :)

Until next time, dear friends!

T

Vegan

No added sugars

Gluten-Free

Nut-Free

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 35 min

Total Time: 45 min

Serves: 3

RECIPE

Beet Salad with Caraway Orange Dressing

& Mixed Greens

Tip#1: Beets can be roasted beforehand – and refrigerated if prepared the second day.

The smaller the size of the beets, the faster it bakes.

Ingredients:

5-6 – small to medium trimmed fresh beets (mixed golden, red) or one pack (5-6 pieces) already cooked

3 ½ – medium to large oranges (caracara, blood orange etc.)

3 cups – organic mixed greens (or preferred lettuce leaves)

1 tbsp (14 g) – extra virgin olive oil (organic)

1 tsp (4 g) – Himalayan salt

1 tsp (2.28 g) – caraway seeds

¼ tsp (0.72 g) – red peppercorns (whole) (optional)

Topping: balsamic reduction, cooked buckwheat kasha (or preferred grain: barley, quinoa etc.)

Directions:

Step 1

Preheat oven at 400° F (200°C)

Note: If using cooked beets, skip straight to Step 4 and use the orange caraway dressing (Step 2) to dress the salad when plating. Also, sprinkle the salt on the beets before adding it to the salad.

Clean the beets, peel if desired, cut them in slices or wedges – keeping pieces small (the smaller, the faster it cooks). Add prepared beets to a bowl.

Step 2

In a small bowl, squeeze the juice from half an orange, mix in the olive oil and crushed peppercorns (optional), and caraway seeds.

Step 3

Use parchment paper or a silicone mat on a large baking tray, place all beet pieces, and distribute the orange juice mix evenly. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven to bake.

Bake for 35 minutes (or until beets are as soft as desired).

Step 4

Remove beets from the oven, and leave to cool.

Peel and slice oranges as desired (slices recommended), and prepare for plating.

Step 5

Serving option: add the mixed greens to a serving platter, arrange beets on top, orange slices, spread the cooked grain evenly on top of the salad, drizzle balsamic reduction and olive oil - sprinkle more caraway seeds on top (optional).

Serve alongside your preferred protein option or as a simple salad starter.

Enjoy while fresh!

Leftover roasted beets can be stored and consumed within five days (recommended).