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Raw Beet and Sweet Potato Salad with Almonds and Orange Balsamic Dressing

raw beet salad (10)

This past Chanukah, Tom bought me a spiralizer. I’ve wanted one for a long time although I can make long veggie noodles with a julienne peeler. But it’s not the same, you know? So yesterday, I finally took it out of the box and after a few missteps, I got the hang of how to use it.

We had some sweet potatoes and some fresh beets that I was threatening Tom with. He hates beets. At least that’s what he says. He hates beets but he loves my Borscht which is beet soup and when we went to Candle 79 to celebrate our anniversary several years ago, he loved an amuse bouche they served which was made with beets.

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Still, he says he hates beets so you can imagine how thrilled he was when I announced not only that I was making beets for dinner but raw beets! Exactly!

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I wanted to make a salad with raw beets and raw sweet potatoes. I had never eaten raw sweet potatoes before. They taste kind of like carrots – really tasty.

So I spiralized the veggies. It’s funny, you get these really long, continuous veggie noodles that are like 15 feet long. They were so pretty, I was tempted to hang them up like garland. But I didn’t. I cut them into somewhat more manageable pieces and tossed them together.

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Some of the beet juice bled onto the sweet potatoes making them a little less orange and more pink but still pretty. Then I added almonds, some finely chopped romaine and parsley.

The dressing was a concoction of a bunch of flavors that pair well with beets – thyme, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon and orange. Plus my secret weapon – a little of the brine from a jar of pickled jalapenos. It adds a little salt and a little spice. You could use brine from any pickled veggie, pepper or olives or use fresh jalapeno for the spice.

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The salad was really delicious. The veggies were tender but still had some crunch. The dressing was amazingly flavorful and the whole dish was not only pretty but really tasty. The only thing I might add next time would be some vegan feta on top but it was great just the way it was.

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And Tom? He LOVED it! He ate a whole bowl (plus the cooked pasta dish I made him). But I bet you he still thinks he hates beets. Enjoy!

Raw Beet and Sweet Potato Salad with Almonds and Orange Balsamic Dressing

GF, SF

raw beet salad (11)

 

For the Dressing:

Zest and juice of one large orange

Zest and juice of half a lemon

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs. of pickled jalapeno brine or ½ jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 Tbs. agave nectar

1 tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

 

For the Salad:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sprialized

4 fresh beets, peeled and spiralized

½ head of green lettuce, finely sliced

3 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup slivered almonds

 

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Taste for seasoning adjustments and set aside.

Using the blade for thick spirals, spiralize the sweet potatoes and beets. Cut them into smaller pieces so you can eat them. Toss them in a large bowl with the lettuce, parsley and almonds. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

raw beet salad (15)

The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.

 

Raw Beet and Sweet Potato Salad with Almonds and Orange Balsamic Dressing
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • For the Dressing:
  • Zest and juice of one large orange
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. of pickled jalapeno brine or ½ jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 2 Tbs. agave nectar
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • For the Salad:
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sprialized
  • 4 fresh beets, peeled and spiralized
  • ½ head of green lettuce, finely sliced
  • 3 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Taste for seasoning adjustments and set aside.
  2. Using the blade for thick spirals, spiralize the sweet potatoes and beets. Cut them into smaller pieces so you can eat them. Toss them in a large bowl with the lettuce, parsley and almonds. Add the dressing and toss to coat.

 

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2 Responses to Raw Beet and Sweet Potato Salad with Almonds and Orange Balsamic Dressing

  1. Darlene May 11, 2016 at 12:43 pm #

    I love this and other recipes of yours. I think you are better than Rachel Ray because your recipes are soo good and healthy..keep it up!!

    • Rhea May 18, 2016 at 2:30 pm #

      Aw, thank you Darlene xoxo


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