Roasted Beet Salad w/ Horseradish Vinaigrette, Pea Shoots + Pistachios

Local beets, garden-fresh pea shoots + a slightly-spicy horseradish dressing in combo w/ toasted pistachios equal a beet salad that is so dang good I ate the whole thing (it serves 2)!

There is a restaurant on the Columbia River that my husband and I enjoy going to. It’s actually the restaurant where we officially met (we first met in church but he doesn’t remember that….silly man). When we were growing micro-greens we delivered there on a weekly basis. I noticed that they had this roasted beet salad with our micro-greens on the menu so I just had to try it! It turned out to be the salad that I have ordered almost every time since…

We no longer are delivering micro-greens; however, I still order the salad. The micro-greens aren’t as good now…j/k;), and they have changed up the original horseradish dressing but it’s still so delicious! This is coming from a girl who didn’t really care for beets but they have grown on me over the years + this beet salad has helped tip me over the edge to a beet “liker”. I wouldn’t say “lover” yet but I do love this salad! The combination of everything just works! This famous (to me:)) beet salad was so good that I had to come home and try to re-create it!

It isn’t exactly the same but I have to say pretty darn close + so delicious! I couldn’t stop eating it! I sat down with my serving (adding in a little turkey for protein since it was dinner) and then went back up to the counter to finish it off!!! Even my husband took “a” bite because I asked him nicely and his exact words were “not bad”….which is a compliment coming from him seeing how he definitely is not a beet or pea fan.

The beets in the recipe were absolutely beautiful. They came from Tumbleweed Farm. Andrea from Tumbleweed even has an awesome food blog that you should check out! I picked them up at their stand at our local farmer’s market. I believe they are candy beets. After doing some researching online I decided to roast them whole in the oven in foil packets with EVOO, S + P. After roasting they peeled super easy by running them through the faucet. I would next time to try peeling + cutting + then roasting them to impart more flavor on the beets. You kinda rinse away all of the flavors on the beets doing it the way I did but it was still delicious and a lot easier. 

Just a note…I prefer the beets cold in this recipe so if you have time stick them in the fridge for a bit, after you have roasted + cut them, in some dressing to get them nice and chill! You could also roast the beets a day ahead and put the dressing on before you serve. If you mix warm beets with pea shoots they will get wilted + definitely don’t want that! Plus, the salad wouldn’t stay fresh as long.

I’m sorry to report I do not know how the salad held up for the next day
because my fork couldn’t stop!!:)  The best way to store the leftovers would be to make just enough for what you are serving and store the dressing, beets, pea shoots + nuts separately. Quinoa would be a fabulous foundation for this salad to make a whole meal or add is some protein like I did. Just be sure to season + dress well with the protein because it did make the salad lose a little of its flavor.

This salad really is good any time of the year! If you don’t have pea shoots arugula or spinach would work great…they would even hold up better if you wanted to take this dish to a party. If you don’t have fresh horseradish a little prepared would do! Just taste as you go + trust your instincts! 🙂

I hope you enjoy this salad + the next time you are at a restaurant + find a
dish you love don’t be afraid to go home and experiment. Even if it doesn’t turn out exactly the same its fun to try something new! Creating something that didn’t exist before into an edible creation (at least I always hope mine is edible;)) is one of the things I love most about cooking. Just like a painter turning a canvas into a work of art!

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weaves-all of them skilled workers and designers. -Exodus 35:35 (NIV)

Roasted Beet Salad w/ Horseradish Vinaigrette, Pea Shoots + Pistachios

Local beets, garden-fresh pea shoots + a slightly-spicy horseradish dressing in combo w/ toasted pistachios equal a salad that is so dang good! Inspired by a salad I had at local restaurant!
I prefer the beets cold in this recipe so if you have time
stick them in the fridge for a bit, after you have roasted + cut them, in some
dressing to get them nice and chill! You could also roast the beets a day ahead and put the dressing on before you serve. If you mix warm beets with pea shoots they will get wilted + definitely don't want that! Plus, the salad wouldn’t stay fresh as long.
The best way to store the leftovers would be to make just enough for what you are serving and store the dressing, beets, pea shoots + nuts separately. Quinoa would be a fabulous foundation for this salad to make a whole meal or add is some protein like I did. Just be sure to season + dress well with the protein because it did make the salad lose a little of its flavor.
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Keyword: Beets, Horseradish Vinaigrette, Pea Shoots, Pistachios, Salad
Servings: 2 people
Author: Alicia Raymond

Ingredients

Horseradish Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh horseradish grated on a microplane + loosely packed (add more if you want more of a kick!)
  • 1/2 shallot, finely minced
  • 1 medium clove garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • Salt + Pepper to taste

Roasted Beet Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette, Peas Shoots + Pistachios

  • 1 bunch fresh beets
  • 1 recipe horseradish vinaigrette
  • 1 bunch pea shoots
  • 1/3 cup pistachios
  • sea salt + freshly ground pepper
  • fresh lemon for squeezing on top of salad if desired

Instructions

Horseradish Vinaigrette

  • Pour all ingredients into a high speed blender (I used my nutribullet) or small food processor could work. Blend for a few seconds until well mixed and creamy.
  • Warning...Don't mix for too long or you will get a "whipped" dressing. Mine still had some chunks.
  • You could also just whisk all ingredients in a dish or glass measuring cup...your dressing would be bit more "chunky". I was going for a smoother consistency like I remembered at the restaurant.

Roasted Beet Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette, Peas Shoots + Pistachios

  • Roast beets in oven:
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Cut off top and bottoms of beets. Wash well. Place each beet
    in a foil packet. If a beet is a lot larger than rest cut to match approximate size
    of rest (ex. I had smaller-sized beets and one very large one so I cut the
    large beet in 4 pieces and roasted two halves in one foil packet). Drizzle
    beets with EVOO and salt + pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until fork
    tender. Some "packets" my need to come out of the oven sooner than others depending on
    size. Remove beets from oven and rinse in cool water to remove the skins.
  • Cut beets into 3/4 inch cubes. Place cut beets in a bowl and cover with some dressing. Place bowl in fridge to cool for however long you have.
  • Toast pistachios on a dry pan over medium heat until lightly toasted + fragrant while beets are in fridge.
  • Add pea shoots to bowl with chilled beets. Add salt + pepper over pea shoots + some more dressing to be able to coat everything. Toss in toasted pistachios and gently toss salad. See (+ taste) if need more dressing + add + toss if needed.
  • Spoon salad onto a platter (or bowl) and top with more pistachios + some sea salt + freshly cracked pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon if desired to top of salad.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Beet roasting adapted from Love & Lemons. 
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