Balsamic Beet Salad with Maple Walnuts and Avocado

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5 from 1 vote

Balsamic Beet Salad with Maple Walnuts and Avocado

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 20

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 549kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Marinated Beets

1 ¾ pounds fresh beets (weighed after greens are removed, about 3 to 4 medium beets)
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Dressing

½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt

For the Maple Walnuts

½ cup walnut halves
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Salad

½ medium red onion, sliced
6 ounces salad greens (arugula and spring mix work great)
1 ripe avocado, quartered and sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Scrub and rinse the beets well, then place them into a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water, making sure it covers the beets by about an inch. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and let the beets simmer until they're easily pierced with a fork, which can take anywhere from 35 minutes for small beets to over an hour for very large beets. Add hot water to the pot if it reduces too much.
Drain the water when the beets are done boiling, then briefly rinse them with cold water. Let them sit until they're cool enough to handle. Be careful here, as the outside can sometimes feel cool while the inside is still very hot.
Once the beets are cool enough to handle, use your hands to remove the peel by gently rubbing them. It should slip off easily.
Quarter then slice the beets and place them into a medium bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar, pepper, and salt, then stir to evenly coat the beets. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a jar or small container with a lid, then shake until the dressing is emulsified.
To make the maple walnuts, first preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the walnuts, maple syrup, and salt into a small bowl, then stir until the walnuts are evenly coated.
Arrange the walnuts in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake the walnuts for about 5 minutes, until most of the syrup has dried up and the nuts are lightly browned. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.
Let the walnuts cool on the baking sheet while you assemble the salad. They will crisp up as they cool.
Optional step: Place the onion slices into a small bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and rinse them. This will reduce the raw onion bite.
To assemble the salad, place the greens into a large salad bowl. Add the marinated beets, red onion, avocado, and maple walnuts. Drizzle with as much dressing as you like, gently toss, and season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Serve.

Notes

This recipe serves 4 as a main dish, or 6 to 8 as a side.
Nutrition information is for a main dish serving (¼ of the recipe) and assumes you're using all of the dressing.

Nutrition