A veggie and fruit packed salad, this Raw Beet Salad with Pear Ginger Vinaigrette combines sweet, savory, and earthy to a delicious and nutrient packed raw salad.
I love salads. Seriously though, they used to be my dinner practically every night in college and a few years after. I would load them up with all the veggies and have some hummus on the side for dipping. Seriously delish. For anyone that went to JMU that might eventually read this, Festival salads were my best friends and I’s jam.
We were in heaven when we went to Mrs. Greens. I now hear Mrs. Greens is open for dinner, which is crazy talk. I probably just outdated myself. Our guy friends would make fun of us for how big our salads would be (team #bombasssalad). One of those guys has now been my boyfriend for awhile, so it’s safe to say they were some harmless puns (so I think).
I used to not like beets either. I think I decided that before I really tried them, but they just seemed weird to me. My mom finally turned me on to them and I usually eat them a few times a week now. They add a natural sweetness to dishes with a boat load of other nutrients.
Beets are high in betaine and folate. Both of these nutrients work together to reduce homocysteine, which can be harmful to blood vessels and contribute to heart disease, stroke, dementia, and vascular disease. So pretty much all the diseases you do not want. Beets are also loaded with potassium, are high in magnesium, and can help replenish iron.
If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can just finely dice or shred the beets and it will still be just as tasty. This was my first time having beets raw and it adds an amazing crunch to the salad. The pear vinaigrette pairs perfectly with the walnuts and the beets and ties it all together. The dressing is delicious on its own and can be used for other salads or simply as a dip for veggies. This salad is vegan, but feel free to add some protein on the side for a well balanced meal.
Raw Beet Salad with Pear Ginger Vinaigrette
ingredients
Dressing
- 1 medium pear, diced (250 grams/2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- pinch of ground pepper
Raw Beet Salad
- 3 cups baby spinach (150 grams)
- 3 cups baby arugula (150 grams)
- 1 large beet peeled (250 grams)
- 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium clementine, divided (75 grams)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, halved (30 grams)
instructions
Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Set aside.
Salad
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts to the hot dry pan and cook, stirring constantly and frequently, until walnuts start to brown and smell toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Put peeled beet through your spiralizer using the 1/8 inch spacing blade. Trim noodles if necessary.
- Add spinach, arugula, beet noodles, garbanzo beans, and divided clementine to a large bowl. Toss with 4 tablespoons of the Pear Ginger Vinaigrette.
- Top with tasted walnuts and enjoy!
notes
nutrition
How do you feel about beets? Is it a love or hate relationship?
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