Nourishing Balance Blog

Luscious Beet Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

This colorful  recipe by Cynthia Lair is a delicious way to prepare beets and is balanced with healthy greens and fatty acids!  The arugula can be substituted with your favorite greens such as watercress, spinach, kale, or a mixture of them. 

Adapted from Cynthia Lair's cookbook - Feeding the Whole Family, 2008

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: 1 hour to cook beets, 15-20 minutes to prepare salad

Ingredients:

Dressing

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¾ tablespoons

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon freshly ground basil

Dash of salt

Salad

4 large beets

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

2 scallions, finely chopped

¼ pound goat or feta cheese if desired

2 cups arugula

Directions

Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Set aside.

Wash beets and place in a large pot covered with water; bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer until beets are tender (about an 45minutes-1 hour).

Toast sesame seeds by placing them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir the seeds while moving the skillet back and forth over the heat. When the seeds begin to puffin up and give off a nutty aroma they are ready. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the beets are finished cooking, hold them under cold water and push the skins off with your fingers. Cut the beats into small cubes. Put the cubed beats, arugula, pumpkin seeds, and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the prepared dressing and mix well. Top with feta or goat cheese if desired.