This raw beet and hazelnut salad is an easy, elegant, healthy side dish that combines thinly shaved beets and all their lovely earthiness, toasted hazelnuts, and sweet apple, all tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette.
This easy yet elegant raw beet and hazelnut salad brings together the traditional pairing of earthy beet and nutty hazelnut to really quite lovely effect. Ideal for any time and any occasion. And it’s as simple as can be with minimal effort.–Renee Schettler Rossi
☞ Contents
Raw Beet and Hazelnut Salad
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 ounces red beet* (about 1 medium beet)
- 3 1/2 ounces yellow beet* (about 1 medium beet)
- 3 1/2 ounces Chioggia beet* (about 1 medium beet)
- 1 red apple any variety, cored
- Scant 1/2 cup (2 ounces) raw or blanched hazelnuts
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 1/2 inch (12-mm) piece ginger peeled and finely chopped
- Fresh juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons hazelnut oil or olive oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- A few sprigs microgreens (optional)
Directions
- Peel the beets. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, shave or thinly slice the beets and apple into almost paper-thin slices.
- In a skillet over medium-low heat, toast the hazelnuts until golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Place on a cutting board and let cool slightly. Then roughly chop the hazelnuts.
- Divvy the beet slices, apple slices, and arugula among 4 serving dishes.
- In a jar with a lid, combine the ginger, lemon juice, and oils. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding maple syrup, salt, and pepper, if desired.
☞TESTER TIP: You can, of course, simply whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salads and, if desired, sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts and microgreens.
Notes
*Can I Use Any Type Of Beet In This Salad?
Yes! Can’t find red, yellow, and Chioggia beets? Or simply prefer one or two varieties over another? Go ahead and use whatever beets your heart (or your fridge bin) desires, whether one type or three, using about 10 1/2 ounces (300 g) in total.Show Nutrition
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I used 6 red beets and 1 Honeycrisp apple. I didn’t use micro greens. I had never served raw beets and only had them one time before. The earthy flavor and crunchy texture were a perfect addition to this salad. I also really appreciated the lemony ginger dressing. It was very zesty and tart and the ginger added a wonderful spice. Everything blended so well together and because of the various textures the salad “felt heavy “ yet was very light and was a wonderful starter to our meal.
With the combination of apples, beets, and hazelnuts, this salad is a great dish to usher in later summer and early fall flavors. I loved the earthy flavor and lovely purple color that the radish microgreens add to the salad.
I added 2 teaspoons of maple syrup to the dressing as it was a bit too sour. I also added 1/2 tsp. of fleur de sel to balance out the acidity. The hazelnut oil is key to the flavor of this dressing.
I can usually get Chioggia beets this time of year, but sadly, I could not this week. I used a combination of red and yellow beets.
I blanched the hazelnuts before toasting them. I used the boiling water and baking soda method and then toasted them for 3 minutes over med-low heat, being careful to not burn them by constantly moving the nuts around in the pan.
Originally published December 16, 2020
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Anna Scott
Looking to impress at your next gathering? Well then by all means add this elegant salad to your menu. I used golden beets in my salad, a Pink Lady apple, and some mixed microgreens we had on hand from our CSA. The combination of colors was brilliant, as was the crunch of the beets, apples, peppery arugula, and toasted hazelnuts.
The real zinger was the addition of fresh ginger into the simple vinaigrette; this was unexpected but was a real pop of flavor! The hazelnut oil added a real richness to the otherwise fresh salad. I served this salad alongside some pan-fried rainbow trout and roasted turnips.
As for the recipe itself, about 10 oz. of beets for me was 4 beets. When I was making my dressing, I just shook it all together in a Mason jar. I liked this option because you got bites of fresh ginger throughout the salad, but I could see it being nice to actually puree it all together in a food processor as well. Dealer’s choice, I guess!