Tangerine, Beet, and Carrot Salad to Cure the Winter Blues

Just around this time of the year, with that persistent gloomy weather and the days which are still too short, the seasonal anxiety of “winter blues” peaks in the northern hemisphere.  While patiently waiting for the first sights of spring, we often focus on colorful food to help lift our mood.

With that in mind, I set out to create this tangerine, beet, and carrot salad which pairs some of my favorite seasonal ingredients with a creamy herbed goat cheese and a show-stopping pomegranate dressing for a mixed salad that tastes every bit as delicious as it looks.  I hope that it might at least bring some brightness to your day and some wonderful citrus flavor to your winter table!

Cooking with Citrus Fruit

Citrus fruit, packed with antioxidants and nutrients, are a true blessing during the winter months.  Besides eating them and juicing them, citrus fruits are a big part of winter baking and cooking as they brighten and enhance the flavor of any dish to which they are added.

The ingredients for the tangerine, beet, and carrot salad

For this tangerine, beet, and carrot salad, I start with a bed of arugula, which I then top with cooked beets and shredded carrots. Beets and carrots go well together since they are both root vegetables.  Herbed goat cheese, which is added on top of the tangerines, chopped beets and shredded carrots, complements the earthy flavors of the vegetables so well.  Finally, I add some toasted hazelnuts to top everything off for texture and crunch.

To make the simple vinaigrette, I mix together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and a little pomegranate molasses–a secret flavor enhancer in dressings and marinades. The result was a very satisfying and flavorful salad with so many different colors and textures!

Ingredient Substitutions  

• Instead of arugula, use your favorite salad greens
• If you do not like beets, you can roast cubes of butternut squash or even some sweet potato
• Sweet Cara Cara oranges are always a good substitute for the tangerines in this salad
• If you prefer, use crumbled Greek Feta cheese instead of the herbed goat cheese
• Toasted pistachio nuts or walnuts go so well as a topping too, in place of the toasted hazelnuts.

A Tangerine, Beet, and Carrot Salad to Cure the Winter Blues ?

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

A super flavorful winter salad with arugula, root vegetables, tangerines, goat cheese and hazelnuts

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Winter Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• For the salad:
• 4 small tangerines, sliced horizontally into discs
• 4 cups baby arugula, packed
• 2 small beets, cooked and cut into wedges
• 1 large or, 2 small carrots, shredded
• 2-3 oz. herbed goat cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts (or pistachios), chopped
• For the Dressing:
• ⅓ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP. red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ TBSP. pomegranate molasses
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Scrub the beets well and cook them whole in plenty of hot water for about 20 minutes, or, until fork-tender. Add the stems and the leaves during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Remove the stems and leaves and reserve them for another recipe (see note, below) and cut the beets into small wedges.
2. Prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Shred the carrots, crumble the goat cheese and toast some hazelnuts. Set them all aside.
3. Pour the olive oil and the rest of the ingredients for the dressing into a small jar with a lid. Shake the jar well until everything is thoroughly emulsified.
4. Take a deep salad bowl and spread the arugula on the bottom and sides, then top with some of the tangerine discs. Top off with more arugula. Arrange the beets in the center of the salad and the shredded carrots around the beets. Place a few more tangerine discs in the center and then crumble the goat cheese all over the salad. Lastly, sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over the entire salad.
5. Shake the salad dressing one more time and drizzle it over the salad. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Place the bowl in the middle of the table and have everyone help themselves, perhaps with some more dressing on the side.

Notes

Do not throw away the stems and leaves of the beets. They are delicious, cooked and sautéed with some garlic tossed in at the end. They taste just like Swiss chard!

3.5.3240

More recipes with citrus fruit:

https://marilenaskitchen.com/2020/01/09/citrus-and-mixed-greens-salad/

https://marilenaskitchen.com/2018/02/22/roasted-rainbow-carrots-with-an-orange-shallot-vinaigrette/

https://marilenaskitchen.com/2015/02/04/orange-and-fennel-salad/

https://marilenaskitchen.com/2017/02/28/orange-and-olive-salad/

THANK YOU FOR READING and FOLLOWING ALONG!