Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Herbs, and Orange
One of my favorite recipes using beets, is in a salad with pistachios, orange, and fresh herbs. The colors are beautiful, and the zesty orange flavors mesh really well with the lower key notes of the beets. The dressing is akin to a gremolata sauce, with lots of chives, tarragon, and parsley.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of beets preferably a mix of colors
- one 3-inch cinnamon stick broken into 3 pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup of water
- 1 large shallot minced
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- salt
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 1/4 cup chopped tarragon
- 1/4 cup of chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted roasted pistachios chopped
- 1/4 cup celery leaves for garnish I generally leave these out due to an allergy
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Arrange the beets in a roasting pan and add the cinnamon pieces, bay leaves, and water. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour or until the beets are tender (test by inserting a butter knife into the center).
- Once done, transfer the beets to a large baking sheet and let cool. Discard the cooking liquid and spices.
- In a small bowl, mix the shallot, vinegar, and a large pinch of salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the orange zest, tarragon, chives, parsley, and olive oil. Season with salt to taste.
- Peel the beets (I rub the skins off with an old clean dish towel that I don't mind staining) and cut the beets into 1/4 inch slices.
- Arrange the beets on a platter in overlapping rows.
- Stir the herb dressing and spoon over the beets.
- Sprinkle the pistachios and celery leaves (if using) on top and serve at room temperature.
Notes
The beets and dressing can be made ahead of time and refrigerated separately overnight. Return to room temperature before finishing and serving.
Recipe modified from FoodandWine.com