Two things we love about late Summer and early Fall – the beets are still growing in the garden and the figs have ripened! Say hello to our Roasted Beet and Fig Salad, a perfectly tasty and healthy combination of two of our favorites! Don’t you just love a Fall salad, they are the best! This Fall salad is a breeze to put together and the delicious sweet and tangy dressing makes it a winning combination.
We initially planted our first batch of beets in early April this year, and continued planting every month so that we would have an abundant harvest through Fall. Can you tell that we are wild about beets? Coming in a close second behind beets are our figs! We received our first fig tree about 3 years ago and each year it has been producing more and more figs. This year we should pick about 150 figs. We have one large tree, which produces most of the figs along with 3 smaller trees. We are a little obsessed, to say the least.
There is certainly something to be said about growing your own vegetables that really connects you to mother nature! In our garden, we choose not to use any pesticides, we use only natural compost and most importantly, we give our veggies lots of tender loving care. It really shows in our abundant harvests! Don’t have room for a garden? Many vegetable plants can be grown in containers too. Give it a try, you may be surprised to find that you have a green thumb!
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Let’s Put This Salad Together!
Let’s start the simple process of roasting the beets. Place the prepared beets on a rimmed baking sheet. We’ve covered ours with foil, as the beets sometimes will stain and the rimmed baking sheet helps catch any juices. Toss with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for approximately 40- 50 minutes. With a spatula, turn beets several times while cooking. If beets begin to look dry, add a couple tablespoons of water over the beets. Beets should pierce easily with a knife when thoroughly cooked. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and set beets aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to hold the beet, and rub the outer skin away. We like to do this under running cool water, as it helps to remove the skin. Slice beets into ¼ inch rounds.
Assembling the Roasted Beet and Fig Salad
Time to assemble the Roasted Beet and Fig Salad! Start by adding a layer of arugula on a platter. We chose to use arugula for this salad as it lends a light peppery flavor, which we feel adds to the overall taste of the salad. Not a fan of arugula? Substitute your favorite kind of lettuce instead. No worries!
Next, top the arugula with the sliced roasted beets, figs, onion and feta cheese. We love this part, finish it off with a scattering of heart-healthy walnuts! Did we mention the amazing dressing yet??? It comes-together easily by whisking together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and maple syrup in a small bowl. Add a pinch of pepper, a clove of minced garlic, and that’s all there is to it! Amazing right?! When ready to serve, drizzle some of that delicious dressing over the top and enjoy one awesome salad!
Don’t forget about those beet tops we removed, follow the recipe here for Horta and substitute the dandelion greens with the sweet beet tops. This recipe for greens makes a perfect, healthy side dish for any meal!
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Roasted Beet and Fig Salad
Ingredients
- 8- 10 beets tops and roots removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4-5 cups arugula
- 8-10 fresh figs sliced
- ½ cup red onion sliced
- ⅔ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- Salt and Pepper
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic minced
- pepper
Instructions
- Wash beets thoroughly to remove any dirt.
- Cut tops of beets and root ends off (reserving the beet greens)
- Place the prepared beets on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for approximately 40-50 minutes.
- With a spatula, turn beets several times while cooking. If beets begin to look dry, add a couple tablespoons of water over the beets.
- Beets should pierce easily with a knife when thoroughly cooked.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and set beets aside to cool.
- When cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to hold the beet, and rub the outer skin away. You may wish to do this under cool running water, as the water helps to remove the outer skin.
- Slice beets into ¼ inch rounds.
- To assemble the salad start by adding a layer of arugula on a platter.
- Next, top the arugula with the sliced roasted beets, figs, onion and feta cheese.
- Add the chopped walnuts to the salad.
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and maple syrup. Whisk until incorporated. Add a pinch of pepper and a clove of minced garlic, and whisk again. Drizzle over the salad
