Winter salad with beets and carrots

Delight in Deliciousness with this simple winter salad with beets and carrots.

When the temperature drops to freezing level, I find myself roasting more than usual. Roasting beets is my favorite way to eat them and they are so delicious in a salad. For this winter salad, beets and carrots are the keys ingredients. I wanted this salad to have different textures; sweet, savory but  light and creamy at the same time. I have incorporated different ingredients in order to accomplish this. Let’s dive into it. Shall we?

What did I use in my winter salad?

Carrots and beets are the main ingredients. I used different colors carrots because they add vibrancy  to the dish on top of making it look appetizing and fun. I also used apples, walnut, sweet potatoes, cheese and arugula.

I specifically used burrata cheese since I wanted a creamier cheese to bind everything when taking a bite. I found that the cheese was the glue to this salad. The walnuts brought a crunchiness to it while the sweet potatoes brought not only the sweetness but helped make the salad stuffy. This will definitely make you feel full for a few hours. A good type of full with fibers and proteins! You are welcome. J Before we move on to the recipe, I would like to talk about a little bit more about beets. 

What are beets?

Also called beetroot and scientifically known as Beta vulgaris, beets are root vegetables from the Middle East but are eaten worldwide.¹ These vibrant vegetables also have health benefits like blood pressure improvement and antioxidant properties. Click here to learn more.

I have learned to appreciate beets once I found out how rich in nutrients they were and the health benefits they provide. The link above will talk about it in more in details. 

How do you roast beets?

They are very easy to roast. All you have to do is to place them on a baking sheet with foil paper and roast them at 400 F until they soften. The cooking time will depend on the size of the beet. It is usually between 35-50 min. No need to peel them before, you can peel them after roasting. The skin will be soft and you should be able to peel with your hands. If you don’t want the colorant to get to your hands, you can wear gloves or peel them while using some paper towels. It is easier to peel them while they are still warm.

Because we are roasting beets with carrots and sweet potatoes, the carrots and sweet potatoes might be ready before the beets. Be sure to check them from time to time to make sure that they do not get mushy. Take them out if need be.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Eggplants confit in palm oil and seared fish

Goat stew with African Basil

Croquettes with sweet potatoes and cassava

What vinaigrette to use for this salad?

You can use an Italian vinaigrette for this salad or make your own. Here is my favorite vinaigrette to make in less than 2 minutes.

How to make a winter salad with beets and carrots?

.Preheat oven at 400 F. 

2. In a bowl, lightly season the carrots with salt and pepper.

3. Place the carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet.

4. Place the beets on the same baking sheet in the oven for 40 min or until a fork can go through them without resistance.

5. In the meantime, whisk all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Season to your liking and set aside.

6. Take the baking sheet out of the oven. 

7. You can use gloves or wrap the beets in some paper towel to peel them if you don’t want to get the colorant from the beets on your hands. Do this while the beets are still warm.

8. Slice the beets.

9. In a salad bowl, put all of your veggies in with some burrata and add some fresh basil leaves.

10. Dress your salad with the vinaigrette.

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