Blackberry Beet Salad with Blackberry Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 large beets or 8 small beets
-
12 oz blackberries (2 6 oz packets), divided
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 cups mixed greens (spinach, arugula, etc.)
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup caramelized pecans
- sea salt (I used Hawaiian sea salt, but any good sea salt will do)
- freshly ground black pepper
- shaved manchego cheese
Instructions
Trim the greens and tips of the beets, rinse and place in a microwave safe dish, along with 1/4 cup of water. Lightly cover with plastic wrap, then cook for 10 minutes on high power, or until fork tender. Alternatively, you can of course roast the beets in an oven safe dish tighly covered wtih aluminum foil in a 425°F for 45-60 minutes. However, the microwave is perfect for when you are in a rush.
While the beets cook, make the dressing. In the jar of a blender, place 6 oz of the blackberries along with the balsamic vinegar, honey and salt and blend. With the blender running on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until it just becomes emulsified, this will take under a minute. Pass the dressing through a sieve to remove the seeds and set aside. You could make the dressing a day in advance, if you wish, keeping it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
When the beets are tender, remove from the microwave and let it cool before handling. Peel the beets and cut into segments.
Assemble the salad by dividing the greens between four bowls. Top with the beets, remaining blackberries, onion, pecans and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with the dressing and shave some manchego cheese on top. Serve with additional dressing on the side.