By Eva Kosmas Flores
Roasted Beet Salad with Pea Shoots
Photo by Eva Kosmas Flores
I love the soft, freshly flavored new pea shoots of spring. They have the most wonderful texture to them, and their flavor is slightly reminiscent of peas but in a much more subtle and refreshing way, think arugula with a hint of fresh peas to it. I love harvesting fresh shoots from my garden in spring and using them in every which way. Pea shoots go very well with a wide variety of vegetables, but I love tossing them with roasted beets for a fresh yet sweet spring salad. Beets have a surprisingly large amount of sugar in them, and when you roast them all that sugar caramelizes, creating a sweet beet with a tender filling and perfectly crispy edges. Toss in some fresh spring chevre and you’ve got yourself a simple and flavorful salad perfectly attuned for the season!
Roasted Beet Salad with Pea Shoots
ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH PEA SHOOTS & CHÈVRE
4 beets, peeled and cut into sixths
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup lightly packed pea shoots or chopped endive/bibb lettuce
1 tablespoon radish or arugula flowers (optional)
CIDER VINAIGRETTE
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of thyme
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the beets lightly with the olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper until coated. Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft when poked with a fork and crispy around the edges. Remove from heat and set aside.
To prepare the vinaigrette, whisk all of the ingredients together until well blended and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Lightly toss the raw beets, roasted beets, pea shoots, arugula flowers, and chèvre together until mixed. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.