Beet salad with honey-lavender dressing is a delightful and vibrant dish that combines the earthy sweetness of beets with the floral notes of honey and lavender. With minimal effort and a handful of ingredients, you can create a refreshing salad that is both visually stunning and delicious. The roasted or pickled beets offer a tender texture, while the honey-lavender dressing adds a delightful balance of sweet and floral flavors. Whether enjoyed as a refreshing side or a light meal, beet salad with honey-lavender dressing offers a unique combination of tastes and textures that will tantalize your palate. Embrace the simplicity of making this salad and savor its deliciousness with every delightful bite.
Beet Salad with Honey-Lavender Dressing
Ingredients
Beets
- 6 medium beets (2 ¼ pounds total) (preferably a mix of yellow and red)
- extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
- Coarse salt
Dressing
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots (thinly sliced, about 1 cup)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp fresh lavender leaves
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup safflower oil
Salad
- 2 bunches baby chard (or 1 bunch swiss chard, about 1 lb) (stems removed, leaves torn into 1-inch pieces)
- 1/2 cup pecans (toasted and salted)
- 8 oz fresh goat cheese (crumbled)
- 2 baby Chioggia beets (scrubbed and thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Beets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle medium beets with olive oil in a baking pan; season with salt. Place in a single layer and add 1 cup water. Cover with parchment, then foil, and roast until knife-tender, about 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, rub off peels with paper towels (use a paring knife for tough spots); discard. Cut beets into bite-size pieces.
- Dressing: Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over low. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add honey and lavender; simmer until lavender is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Puree with yolk, vinegar, and mustard in a blender or food processor until smooth. With machine running, slowly add safflower oil until combined. (If dressing is too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time.)
- Salad: Combine roasted beets, chard, and pecans in a bowl. Lightly toss with 1/4 cup dressing. Place 1 tablespoon dressing on bottom of each plate, then add salad mixture and goat cheese, dividing evenly. Top with baby beets and serve, with remaining dressing on the side.