Beet Salad, my own invention

vegeater — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:58:32 +0000

Lately I have been into pickled and canned beets. I throw them on green salads, mostly, for color and flavor and nutrient goodness. I have had this little side salad invention rumbling around in my head for a while now, so today I decided to give it a try. I think I was first inspired by a beet salad recipe I saw in The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, but this recipe is mostly my own creation. I’m not really willing to deal with fresh beets very often, at least not as often as I want to eat beets; so I’ve been hunting for ways to use canned ones. I kept the oil to a minimum since I’m watching calories pretty closely lately, but you could increase it to 2 tablespoons if you like.

Even Hubs, a non-beet-liker, admitted that this salad is good. Try it - you might like it too.

The Veg-eat-ables:
1 can beets (plain), chopped
1 can pickled beets, chopped
1 5-oz can water chestnuts, chopped
5 green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley (more or less)

The Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne (more if you like)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of sugar or stevia
salt and pepper to taste

Chop all the veg and mix in a bowl. Mix the ingredients for the dressing with a whisk, then add to the veg. Chill for a while, stirring a couple of times during, so that things marinate evenly.

Serve cold, as a side dish, or on top of greens. If you were feeling really fancy, you could top with a few toasted slivered almonds or sunflower seeds.

Hubs and I made a meal of spiced lima beans, ruby-red rice, this yummy beet salad, and a simple salad of cucumber and red pepper marinated in a dousing of rice wine vinegar and a smidge of sherry. It was the perfect colorful plate to jazz up a dreary winter Sunday.

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Beet Salad, my own invention