Roasted Beet Salad with Fennel

This Roasted Beet Salad with Fennel showcases the best that winter produce has to offer! Colorful roasted beets, refreshing fennel, and walnuts are tossed in a citrus dressing and served on a spiced yogurt sauce. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free option.

Course Salad

Cuisine America, American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Oven

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 312kcal

Author Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

For the Salad:

4 medium beets red, golden, or a mix
1 bulb fennel including fennel fronds
1 cara cara or navel orange
1/2 cup toasted* walnuts roughly chopped
1 tablespoon dill chopped (optional)

For the Citrus Olive Oil Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice*
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Spiced Yogurt:

2/3 cup thick coconut yogurt*
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Roast the Beets: (Note: this can be done up to 2 days in advance). Preheat the oven to 400F and set a baking sheet aside. Trim the roots and ends off of each beet, then wrap in aluminum foil. Add 1-2 teaspoons of water to the beet before sealing off the foil (this helps them steam better), then place on the baking tray. Roast in the middle rack of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the beets are tender.
Make the Olive Oil Dressing: Add the lemon juice, orange zest, and salt to a large bowl and whisk well. Continue to whisk as you slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture, whisking vigorously until emulsified.
Marinate the Fennel: Cut the bottom root and top thin portions of the fennel off, saving the fine fronds (which look like dill) for garnish. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to thinly slice the fennel. Transfer the fennel to the bowl with the citrus dressing and toss until coated; keep in the fridge until ready to combine in step 6.
Make the Spiced Yogurt: Whisk the yogurt, cumin, and salt together in a small bowl until combined; keep in the fridge until step 6.
Cut the Beets & Oranges: Carefully remove the beets from the foil and let cool slightly, then peel; the outer skin should come off easily. Slice into 1/4” slices and set aside. Supreme* the orange and set aside.
Plate: Use a spoon or spatula to generously spread the spiced yogurt mixture across the bottom of a serving platter. Top the yogurt with layers of the marinated fennel, sliced beets, and oranges until evenly distributed, then drizzle the beets with the remaining citrus dressing. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds, chopped dill, and toasted walnuts. Serve immediately.

Notes

Lemon Juice: Lemon juice can be swapped with white wine or apple cider vinegar for a similar flavor.
Coconut Yogurt: I recommend using a very thick and creamy coconut yogurt with no sweeteners added. My favorite brands for this are culina, cocojune, and cocoyo. If you cannot find coconut yogurt or do not want to include it in the recipe, add the cumin to the citrus dressing instead and skip step 4.
Toasted Walnuts: Spread the walnuts across a baking sheet and bake on the top rack of the oven for 7-10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool, chop and use in step 6! You can also choose to leave your walnuts untoasted.
How to Supreme: Use a paring knife to trim the ends off of the orange, then to peel off the outer rind. Using the white pith as a guide, carefully cut out each orange segment, leaving the pith and white membrane behind. You can also refer to this helpful blog post.

Nutrition