Adapted from Carolynn Carreño | Bowls of Plenty | Grand Central Life & Style, 2017
This roasted beet and quinoa salad recipe with goat cheese and hazelnuts looks stunning and, vastly more importantly, is just as stunning to the palate. The quinoa is nutty, the sweet roasted beets are tender, the goat cheese is creamy and tangy, the hazelnuts crunchy, and the balsamic dressing lends a perfectly acidic touch. And everything takes on a pleasing purple hue from the beets. When you look at the recipe, you’ll notice that it has quite a few steps, but it’s incredibly easy to put together. While you roast the beets, cook the quinoa on the stovetop. And then roast the hazelnuts as soon as the beets come out of the oven. The dressing takes mere minutes to prep at the last moment. It’s largely a hands-off salad that turns out to be supremely satisfying. It just takes a little savvy strategizing.–Angie Zoobkoff
Roasted Beet and Quinoa Salad Quick Glance 30 M 2 H Serves 4 to 6 Print Recipe
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Send Is required Sign me up for your newsletter, too! Is required For the roasted beets 1 bunch red beets (3 to 4 medium beets) (13 1/2 oz), trimmed and scrubbed 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup hazelnuts For the quinoa salad 1 cup uncooked white, red, or black quinoa 1 small to medium head radicchio (9 oz) 3 ounces goat cheese (about 1 cup crumbled) For the balsamic vinaigrette 1 medium or large shallot, minced 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup) 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Directions Roast the beets and hazelnuts 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Adjust the oven rack so it’s in the middle position. 2. Place the beets in the center of a very large sheet of heavy-duty foil (or a couple stacked sheet of regular foil). Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and a few turns of pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil and place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet. 3. Roast the beets until tender when pierced with a toothpick or fork, about 70 minutes, depending on their size. 4. Remove the beets from the oven, carefully open the foil to let the steam escape, and let cool. Reduce the oven to 325°F (163°C). 5. While the beets cool, scatter the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and slide it in the oven, shaking the sheet once or twice so they toast evenly. You’ll know they’re done when they’ve browned slightly and when you can smell the aroma of the nuts wafting from the oven, which should happen in anywhere from 7 to 12 minutes. Keep careful watch so the hazelnuts don’t burn. 6. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel the beets by gently rubbing each beet with a paper towel. The skin should slip right off. (Some beet juice will probably get on your hands. And it stains. So don some thin rubber gloves if you don’t want purple fingers and keep the beets away from your best wooden cutting board.) 7. Cut the peeled beets into 1/2-inch (16-mm) chunks. (You can cover and refrigerate the roasted and peeled beets for up to a couple days.) Prep the quinoa salad 8. Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse well under cool running water. Combine the quinoa, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups water in a large pan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer the quinoa until the water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. 9. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a plate or a baking sheet and let cool to room temperature. (You can cover and refrigerate the cooked quinoa for up to a couple days.) 10. If you want to serve the quinoa salad in radicchio cups, reserve some of the outer leaves of the radicchio. Quarter and core the radicchio and very thinly slice it. 11. Transfer the hazelnuts to a clean towel, close the towel to create a bundle, and roll the hazelnuts around inside the towel. Uncover and shake the skins out of the towel and let the peeled hazelnuts cool completely. (You can store the toasted hazelnuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple days.) Coarsely chop the hazelnuts. Prepare the balsamic vinaigrette 12. In a bowl large enough to hold the salad, combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Let rest until the shallot softens, 5 to 10 minutes. 13. Whisking constantly, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream to the bowl with the remaining ingredients. (You can cover and refrigerate the vinaigrette for up to 1 week. Whisk to recombine just before using.) Assemble the roasted beet and quinoa salad 14. Add the sliced radicchio and chopped beets to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. 15. Add the cooled quinoa and hazelnuts to the bowl with the radicchio, beets, and vinaigratte and stir to combine. Add the goat cheese in small clumps and gently fold to distribute it. Serve the salad straight from the bowl or, if desired, spoon the salad into individual radicchio leaves. Serve immediately. Originally published January 15, 2017. Show Nutrition #PastaAndGrains #Cheese #TheArsenal #Salad #Lunch
