This Blood Orange Beet Salad is the perfect addition to your holiday table! It’s an exquisite fusion of rich, earthy beets and citrusy blood orange slices, tossed with baby arugula, toasted nuts, and pomegranate molasses.
This stunning salad adds a burst of vibrant colors and flavors to the cold weather. It is not just visually appealing but also offers intriguing taste and texture contrasts.
As the weather turns cooler, salads tend to be forgotten on dining tables. However, this is the best time to prepare this spesh salad since blood oranges are in season, making them so fresh and juicy!
So, this time, impress your friends and family at the holiday table by serving this dish. This salad is more than “just a salad”; it’s a celebration of colors, flavors, and textures, meticulously crafted to please both the palate and the eyes.
Blood Orange Beet Salad – Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s an elegant dish to serve to your family and friends.
- It uses simple ingredients that are readily available.
- You can customize ingredients that suit your taste.
- This dish is so refreshing and has different textures and flavors that everybody will love!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 1 hr. Servings: Approx 4 dinner-sized portions (6 side salad sizes).
- 4 medium-sized beetroots
- 3-4 blood oranges or other citrus fruits
- 4-5 cups arugula
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds, plus 3 tbsp for dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pc medium red onion
- ⅓ cup roasted, sliced almonds
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp salt (plus more for seasoning at the end)
- ¼ cup blood orange juice (about half a juicy orange)
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (recipe in the instruction portion)
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
How To Make Roasted Beet Salad
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Trim the tops of the beets and place them inside the pan then drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt, coating them evenly. Pour the water into the pan and cover it with the lid or foil. Place it in the oven to roast for about 45 to 50 minutes until the beets are tender. Remove and allow to cool.
- In a small saucepan place about 3 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds. Then add 2 tbsp of sugar and the juice of half of a lemon. Simmer over low heat until you end up having a thick, syrup-like consistency amounting to about 1 tablespoon. Strain, or use a slotted spoon to remove the pomegranate molasses and place in a small bowl.
- To make the dressing, squeeze the juice of half of the blood orange into the small bowl of molasses, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and white wine vinegar. Season with salt to taste and whisk to incorporate them together. Set the blood orange vinaigrette aside. Once the beets are cooled completely, peel and cut them into thin wedges (it is helpful to peel them under cool running water to avoid staining).
- Next, peel the blood orange with a sharp knife, remove as much white part as possible, and slice into wedges. Cut the onion in half and thinly slice.
- In a large bowl, place beets, oranges, chopped onion, and pomegranate seeds. Toss gently with the dressing. Add the arugula and mix to evenly coat the greens. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, place salad on plates, and scatter the tops with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
Tips, Variations, And Substitutions
🥗 Vegan goat cheese – If you want to add a creamy and tangy element to your blood orange beet salad, I would recommend some cheese will hit the spot.
🥗 Shallots – Adding them raw or cooked will add different flavors and textures. Raw diced shallots are pungent with a flavor similar to pepper, they will add a layer of freshness to the beet and orange salad as well.
While cooked shallots have that appetizing golden color, are sweeter, milder, and more subtle. Choose the one that suits your palate.
How To Store
If you have leftovers, you can keep the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers with lids and place them in the fridge.
Keeping them separate will prevent the salad from wilting and keeping them covered will prevent odors from contaminating your dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blood oranges are so named due to their distinctive deep red or maroon-colored flesh, which resembles the color of blood.
This striking crimson hue is a result of the presence of specific pigments which are responsible for the red coloration.
You can enjoy beets raw in salads. But if you have more beets at home and don’t know what to do with them, you can roast, grill, or bake with them.
You can also turn them into soup, hummus, pickles, and even use them for cakes or brownies. Beets are known for their versatility and can be used in a wide variety of ways.
Roasted Beet Salad with Blood Oranges (For The Holiday Table!)
Ingredients
- 4 pc beetroots medium-sized
- 4 pc blood oranges
- ½ pc red onion thinly sliced
- 5 cup arugula
- 1 cup + 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds 3 tbsp for the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup toasted sliced almonds
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup blood orange juice
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (recipe in the instruction portion)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 pc lemon
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Trim the tops of the beets and place them inside the pan then drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt, coating them evenly. Pour the water into the pan and cover it with the lid or foil. Place it in the oven to roast for about 45 to 50 minutes until the beets are tender. Remove and allow to cool.
- In a small saucepan place about 3 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds. Then add 2 tbsp of sugar and the juice of half of a lemon. Simmer over low heat until you end up having a thick, syrup-like consistency amounting to about 1 tablespoon. Strain, or use a slotted spoon to remove the pomegranate molasses and place in a small bowl.
- To make the dressing, squeeze the juice of half of the blood orange into the small bowl of molasses, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and white wine vinegar. Season with salt to taste and whisk to incorporate them together. Set the blood orange vinaigrette aside. Once the beets are cooled completely, peel and cut them into thin wedges (it is helpful to peel them under cool running water to avoid staining).
- Next, peel the blood orange with a knife, remove as much white part as possible, and slice into wedges. Cut the onion in half and thinly slice.
- In a large bowl, place beets, oranges, chopped onion, and pomegranate seeds. Toss gently with the dressing. Add the arugula and mix to evenly coat the greens. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, place salad on plates, and scatter the tops with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately.