Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 400 g red beets, scrubbed, roots and tops trimmed
- 200 g belgian endive, leaves separated or roughly chopped
- 50 g walnuts, roughly chopped
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml balsamic vinegar
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 5 ml maple syrup
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 241 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 288 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Potassium
- 498 mg
- Calcium
- 42 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 50 mg
- Phosphorus
- 99 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.08 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 121 mcg
- Water
- 92 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
Individually wrap the scrubbed beets tightly in aluminum foil. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife pierces the center with no resistance.
While the beets roast, place the chopped walnuts on a dry baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until fragrant. Watch closely to prevent burning. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk continuously while slowly pouring in the olive oil until the mixture is fully emulsified.
Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool until safe to handle. Peel the skins off using your hands or a paper towel, then slice them into bite-sized wedges.
Trim the root end off the Belgian endives. Separate the leaves or roughly chop them on a cutting board, depending on your presentation preference.
In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the sliced beets, endive leaves, and half of the toasted walnuts with the vinaigrette. Toss lightly to prevent the beets from bleeding too much color onto the endive.
Transfer the salad to a serving platter and garnish with the remaining toasted walnuts. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Roasting beets in their skins concentrates their sugars and earthy flavors much better than boiling, which waterlogs them.
- For a composed presentation, dress the endive separately and lay the dressed beets on top. This prevents the classic 'pink bleed' that happens when mixing beets with pale greens.
- The Dijon mustard in the vinaigrette acts as an emulsifier, holding the oil and vinegar together while adding a sharp backbone that cuts through the sweetness of the beets.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store dressing, beets, and endive separately to prevent the endive from wilting and turning pink.
Troubleshooting
Endive tastes overwhelmingly bitter
Cause: Endive was exposed to light for too long or is past its prime
Fix: Soak the chopped endive in ice water for 10 minutes, drain well, and add an extra pinch of salt and a splash of maple syrup to the dressing to balance the bitterness
Prevention: Store endive in the dark and use promptly
Salad turns entirely bright pink
Cause: Beet juices bled completely into the endive during aggressive tossing
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the flavor remains unaffected
Prevention: Toss the endive with the dressing first, plate it, and then arrange the beets over the top
Beets are hard in the center
Cause: Insufficient roasting time
Fix: Rewrap tightly in foil and return to the oven for 15-20 more minutes
Prevention: Always pierce the largest beet with a knife before removing from the oven
Cultural Context
The pairing of earthy root vegetables with bitter greens is a classic hallmark of French bistro fare, specifically drawing inspiration from the winter agriculture of Northern France and Belgium. Endive, often grown in complete darkness to preserve its pale color and delicate bitterness, provides the perfect structural and flavor counterpoint to hearty, sweet roasted beets.
