Marinated Beet Salad with Walnuts, Avocado, Shaved Fennel and Citronette

Total Time
3 Hrs, 45 Mins
Serves
4
Meal
Brunch Dinner Lunch
Course
Appetizers Side

Total Time

Prep Time
15 Mins
Cook Time
3 Hrs, 30 Mins
Total Time
3 Hrs, 45 Mins

Nutrition

Calories
320 cal
Total Fat
26 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
7 g
Cholesterol
10 mg
Sodium
340 mg
Carbohydrates
17 g
Dietary Fiber
7 g
Protein
8 g

Ingredients

Roasted, Pickled Beets

  • 3–4 beets (about 3/4 pound), medium
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Citronette Dressing

  • Zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons), finely grated
  • Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon), finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
  • 2 ounces chévre (goat cheese)
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) California walnuts
  • 1 cup fennel (about half a bulb, trimmed), thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup citronette dressing

Note: This makes slightly more citronette than you will need. The remaining dressing is lovely on a simple salad of butter lettuce and Belgian endive, at another meal.

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Scrub the beets and trim them, leaving the root and about 1-inch of the stem attached. Place in a baking dish and add about 1/2-inch of water. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the point of a sharp knife pierces the beets fairly easily.
  2. Let the beets stand, uncovered, until they are cool enough to handle. Peel off the stems and skins (they will slip off easily). Cut the beets into thin slices and toss them together in a bowl with the vinegar, olive oil, shallot, salt and pepper. Marinate for about 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
  3. To prepare the citronette, combine the orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, shallot and olive oil in a tightly capped jar. Shake vigorously until smooth and blended, then season with salt and pepper to taste. To assemble the salad, combine the beets, avocado, goat cheese, walnuts and fennel in a bowl. Lightly coat with the citronette dressing, and divide between 4 plates.