I love beets. They have a wonderful sweetness and texture. I sometimes cook beets into hot dishes, but my favorite way to enjoy beets is in a simple salad. For this particular recipe, I paired the beets with a tangerine vinaigrette with tangerine-infused oil and tangerine juice. The vinaigrette brightens the flavor of the dish and acts as a nice complement to the flavor of the beets. I also added corn to create a contrast of texture and color. The result is a salad with some very bold flavors.
1. Info for Roasted Beet and Corn Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
- Servings: 8
- Calories: 67kcal
2. Ingredients for Roasted Beet and Corn Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette
- 4 red beets (and/or golden beets)
- 2 (8.75 ounces) cans corn kernels, drained
- 1/2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, freshly cracked using a mortart and pestle
- 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup grapeseed oil (or any other neutral oil)
- 4 tangerines (or any fragrant citrus such as Meyer lemons)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons horseradish mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves pickled garlic, finely minced
- 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, + extra for garnish
3. Directions:
- Zest and squeeze the tangerines. Finely minced the zest. Reserve the juice and about a teaspoon of zest for the vinaigrette.
- In a small saucepan, heat the oil with the cracked black peppercorns and the tangerine zest over medium-low (do not reach a boil) and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve (or a double-layered cheese cloth) and discard all the pepper solids and zest.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash the beets. Scrub them under tap water. Remember to trim off a little piece from the ends of the root. Cut into thirds, horizontally. No need to peel the beets. Once they are roasted, the peels will rub right off.
- Place in a large bowl. Drizzle with about 2-3 tablespoons of tangerine-infused oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Toss well. Wrap each beet (3 pieces) in aluminum foil. Place the 4 aluminum wrappers on a baking sheet.
- Roast for about 50-55 minutes. Let the beets cool completely in the aluminum wrappers for about anU hour and a half. Wipe the skins off using paper towels.
- Peel and dice the beets into 1-inch cubes. Chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
- In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice. Add the mustard. Set aside.
- Using a strainer, remove the pulp of the tangerine juice. Place the tangerine juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then immediately decrease the heat to a gentle simmer for a little less than 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped tangerine zest. The liquid should reduce to about a tablespoon of tangerine juice. Remove from the heat. Add salt and immediately emulsify the vinaigrette with the remaining tangerine-infused oil while the juice is still hot. Add the mustard / lemon juice mixture. Add the pickled garlic. Finish with white pepper.
- Remove the diced beets from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to bring them back to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine the diced beets and corn kernels. Drizzle with tangerine vinaigrette. Toss well. Garnish with dill.
- Bon appétit!
