Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

We went out for a late dinner just before Thanksgiving at a new place, the Crooked Pint Ale House. They serve mostly pub type food. I ordered chicken strips and I had a choice of a side: fries, tater tots or roasted beet salad. I was tickled! Beet salad? Were they kidding? I’m not into French fries and dislike tater tots for the most part. I LOVE beets and to serve them in a little side salad? They are my new best place to dine out!

Of course I went home and wanted to find a way to replicate the salad. I’d made and posted a beet salad previously, but this was different. The tangy vinaigrette made the salad pop. I wanted more. There’s the mark of a good recipe, you want more! I found a recipe that had beets, but most importantly the vinaigrette sounded like what I had tasted at the Crooked Pint. I would make the salad for Thanksgiving and adapt the vinaigrette to taste like what I’d just eaten.

Peel and finely dice roasted beets

I had four rather small beets from the Heritage Center garden in my fridge. I trimmed tops and bottoms and tucked them into a foil packet. I placed the packet on a small baking sheet and roasted them for an hour. I tested them at 40 minutes but the fork wasn’t going in easily. I gave them 20 more minutes and they were done. The fork went in easily.

I let the beets cool before I peeled them and diced them into small pieces. I placed them in a container and refrigerated them until the next day. I also finely diced about 1/4 cup red onion. The next day before dinner I diced a Gala apple. My P.S. had picked up a box of about 6 ounces of arugula and it was already washed and in the fridge. Salad ingredients were ready.

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

The vinaigrette had quite a few ingredients compared to the ones I usually make. They were things I always have on hand; that’s always a bonus. My daughter Emily helped me measure the ingredients into a pouring pitcher and whisked until the vinaigrette was emulsified.

I placed a small handful of arugula into small bowls and topped it with sprinkles of the beets, apple and red onion. I drizzled the vinaigrette over each salad and set them at the place settings at the table. They were a colorful touch.

Thanksgiving Dinner with side of Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad

We absolutely loved these salads.! The tangy vinaigrette made the salad come alive. Although I couldn’t finish my dinner (I always over serve myself!) I would have eaten seconds and thirds of that salad. It was refreshing and addicting. I will be making it often, I’m sure.

Maybe I’ll get some better pictures. Due to the Thanksgiving hustle and bustle of preparing a meal for 13, I forgot to take many pictures. I faked it with a picture I’d taken of the salad at the Crooked Pint to remind myself to do some research.