Spring Beet Salad

Boost your mood with this colorful and nutritious spring beet salad. Ingredients include orange, red and purple beets, which contain betaine, a super nutrient that helps protect your cells and reduce environmental stress. Plus, this refreshing salad is loaded with inflammation-fighting leafy greens and topped with a tasty, easy-to-make dressing full of rich flavors. Garnish with your favorite edible flowers for an extra burst of color.

Ingredients

• 1 head of Boston or bib lettuces washed
• 1 romaine heart washed
• 1–2 endive
• 1 small radicchio
• 1 cup of arugula
• ½ cup of cilantro (stemmed)
• ½ cup of Italian parsley (flat-leaved parsley) stemmed
• 1 cup of microgreens
• 2–3 small beets (oranges, purple, red — use a mix of colors)
• 1 tbsp capers
• ½ cup of Feta (goat/sheep) or Parmesan
• ½ cup Kalamata olives

Instructions

• Wash and dry well all the leaves and tear up into smaller bites. Slice the romaine heart. 
• Destem the cilantro and parsley. (You can leave the smaller stems, but remove the tougher ones.) 
• Roast the beets in a little oil at 350° for 25 mins.
• Thinly slice the cooked beets.
• Put all the ingredients on a large platter, except the microgreens. Add half the dressing and toss the salad. You may need to add more dressing.
• Add the microgreens, toss gently.

Dressing

• 1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 tsp honey (optional)
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• ½ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

• In a small pan or saucepan gently heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and cumin for about 1 minute.
• Add all the other dressing ingredients to bowl and whisk until well combined, then warmed cumin and 1 tbsp olive oil. Whisk all together for at least 3 minutes.

Optional Add-Ins

• Dijon mustard
• 1 mashed anchovy
• ½ cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
• 1 heaped tbsp of pesto
• 3 slices of bacon, crisped