Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese & Pine Nuts + Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Fresh beets from Ted Sexton's fall garden pair deliciously with blue cheese, toasted pine nuts and Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Another wonderful reason I LOVE fall!

Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese & Pine Nuts + Apple Cider Vinaigrette      

8 servings

4 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed & trimmed but with about 1” of rthe root intact, unpeeled

About 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

8 handfuls mixed salad greens

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (spread out on tray and bake @ 350° for 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown -- watch carefully)

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Individually wrap 4 beets in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with a paring knife, 45 to 60 minutes.
   
3. Let cool. Rub beets with paper towels to remove skins and cut into cubes. 

4. Toss beets with about /4 cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette and parsley and allow to marinate if time allows.
   
5. Fill a platter (or individual salad plates if preferred) with salad greens.
6. Top greens with marinated beets, blue cheese and toasted pine nuts.
   
7. Add enough Apple Cider Vinaigrette to coat salad greens . . . or pass the salad dressing if preferred. 

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/4 cup apple cider

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced onions

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
   
2. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.
   
3. Stir in minced onions and refrigerate until ready to use.
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese & Pine Nuts + Apple Cider Vinaigrette      

8 servings 

4 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed & trimmed but with about 1” of rthe root intact, unpeeled

About 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

8 handfuls mixed salad greens

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts  (spread out on tray and bake @ 350° for 5 to 8 minutes until golden brown -- watch carefully)

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Individually wrap 4 beets in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with a paring knife, 45 to 60 minutes.
3. Let cool. Rub beets with paper towels to remove skins and cut into cubes. 

4. Toss beets with about /4 cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette and parsley and allow to marinate if time allows.
5. Fill a platter (or individual salad plates if preferred) with salad greens.
6. Top greens with marinated beets, blue cheese and toasted pine nuts.
7. Add enough Apple Cider Vinaigrette to coat salad greens . . . or pass the salad dressing if preferred. 

Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

1/4 cup apple cider 

1/4 cup white wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

2 tablespoons agave syrup 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 cup canola oil 

1 1/2 tablespoons minced onions 

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
2. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.
3. Stir in minced onions and refrigerate until ready to use.