For most of us, there comes a time during the winter months that we grow tired of root vegetables. We start craving fresh salads, spring vegetables, and lighter preparations. With spring just around the corner, this winter salad makes a nice transition to the new season.
I like to think of a salad as a dish with many components, different textures, and complementing flavors. The components of this salad are really quite simple. First comes a bed of mixed lettuces (green leaf, red leaf, butter, romaine and radicchio) dressed in a bright, orange vinaigrette. Then, marinated baby beets are tossed in the salad bowl. To make the salad more substantial, it is topped with fried goat cheese medallions and then sprinkled with walnuts that have been toasted with rosemary and lightly seasoned.
This salad is substantial enough to serve alone for a light lunch. The sweet beets complement so well the lettuce with the orange vinaigrette, the creamy goat cheese and the crunchy walnuts. This salad makes me happy to just look at. The more I look at it the more hopeful I become that the end of this long winter will soon be here!
- For the salad:
- 6 oz. mixed lettuce leaves, including radicchio & butter lettuce, washed and dried
- 3 small beets
- 6 oz. goat cheese, kept cold
- 1 large egg white, beaten with 1 tsp. water
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs (or panko)
- 2 TBSP. olive oil (for the pan)
- Dressing:
- 1 TBSP. shallot, finely minced
- 3 TBSP. white balsamic vinegar
- 2 TBSP. fresh orange juice
- 4 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ sea salt & ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- Topping:
- 1 TBSP. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
- ½ cup walnuts, cut in quarters
- 1 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- --- sea salt & freshly ground pepper
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash the beets well, place them on a large piece of foil and wrap tightly. Place the wrapped beets on a baking sheet and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or, until the beets are cooked through. Let them cool in the foil then remove the foil and rub off the beet skins. Cut into wedges and place in a small bowl. (*)
- To make the topping: to a medium skillet over medium heat, add 1 TBSP. of extra virgin olive oil and stir in the rosemary leaves and the walnuts. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. When the rosemary leaves are crispy and the walnuts are golden brown, remove them from the skillet, place on paper towels and season with some salt and pepper. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and set aside.
- To make the dressing: place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour two tablespoons of the dressing over the beets and reserve the rest for the greens.
- Slice the cold goat cheese into 8 - ½” slices. Dip each slice into the beaten egg white, then in the bread crumbs, making sure the cheese is well coated. Place the slices on a small rack and chill for 15 minutes or so, to firm up.
- Return the same skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 TBSP. of olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the goat cheese medallions in the skillet and cook them quickly on both sides until browned on the outside, but not yet melted inside, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Toss the green with the rest of the dressing and place in a serving platter. Top with the beets and the goat cheese medallions. Scatter the toasted rosemary-walnuts over the whole salad and serve.
Here are a few more seasonal salads you might like:
Arugula Salad with Prosciutto and Figs
Arugula, Beet, Orange & Goat Cheese Salad
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I would love to know what you think – please leave me a comment below!
This looks wonderful! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Kathy! I hope you try it – so easy and delicious!
Ok mam I try today
But very look &like
Very light, yet nutritious! I will use it as first course for tomorrow’s diner!
It should be perfect as a first course! Let me know how everybody liked it!
what a great salad, perfect for this time of year!
Thank you so much Mako – yes, this time of year calls for different kind of salads…. and this is really very tasty and satisfying! I love getting messages from my homeland!
I tried the Winter Citrus salad today, and I felt so light and zestful afterward! I had been on a very limited, mostly carb diet recovering from a recent flu, so this was my first test of fruits and vegetables in awhile, and it was truly invigorating. I’m so appreciative because many mediterranean recipes call for tomatoes and cucumber, which simply isn’t in season this time of year. I will never forgo having salads in the winter again!
Thank you for trying my recipe! With so many other options for vegetables and fruits we have at this time of the year, we can make delicious salads without tomatoes and cucumbers:)