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Beets, Shallots, and Feta with Mixed Greens

Beets, Shallots, and Feta with Mixed Greens

With my recent love for kale salads, I often forget how nice a simple bowl of mixed greens can be.  Add some roasted beets, sautéed  shallots, creamy crumbly feta, a drizzle of  balsamic dijon dressing, and the bowl of mixed greens becomes absolutely divine.  Beets, shallots, and feta with mixed greens is one of my favorite salads to serve when we have company for dinner.

If I’m planning on this salad for the evening meal, I try to make the beets and shallots much earlier in the day and then chill them in the refrigerator.  Covering the beets with foil and adding just a little water when baking creates tender and moist beets while still retaining their flavor and nutrients.  So much of building a salad is personal preference so use your own discretion when it comes to the quantities listed in the recipe.  I enjoy the salty flavor of feta, but too much is overpowering to me so I tend to use less feta than a restaurant might perhaps use.  I especially like the beets with the balsamic dijon dressing so sometimes I use more beets and less greens.  Assembling salads can be such a beautiful thing.

Beets, Shallots, and Feta with Mixed Greens

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Beets, Shallots, and Feta with Mixed Greens
 
Ingredients
Salad
  • 3 medium beets, cleaned and scrubbed
  • 2 cups sliced shallots, about 5 medium shallots
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • 8 ounces mixed greens
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
Dressing
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
Salad
  1. Preheat oven to 375. Fill a shallow baking dish with ¼-inch of water. Place the beets in the pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Insert a knife to test for doneness. If knife does not go in easily, bake for another 15-20 minutes and check again. Allow beets to cool completely.
  2. Peel the cooled beets and cut into ¼-inch slices. Cut each slice into quarters and set aside.
  3. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, salt, and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until shallots are softened and start to turn golden. Allow shallots to cool completely.
  4. In a large serving bowl, layer the mixed greens with the shallots, beets, and feta. Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad, tossing until salad is evenly coated. Serve immediately.
Dressing
  1. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
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Greek Quinoa Salad

Greek Quinoa Salad | Gather & Dine

There was a time in my life when I didn’t like olives or feta, but now I love them both.  Ten years ago, I would have never wanted to eat a Greek salad, but now I think I could eat one everyday.  I try to keep this in mind when my kids turn their heads away from some of the meals I lovingly labor over for them.  When I think about how much my tastes have changed over the years, I have hope that theirs will too.

Along with feta and olives, this simple Greek Quinoa Salad has tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion with a bright red wine and lemon vinaigrette dressing.  Use the ripest tomatoes possible for the best taste and texture.  If you make this salad ahead of time,  save some of the dressing and add it right before serving.

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Greek Quinoa Salad
 
Ingredients
  • For the Salad:
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2-3 ripe roma tomatoes, diced
  • ½ English cucumber, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, small diced
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
  • ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled

  • For the Dressing:
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine veingar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
For the Salad:
  1. In a medium pot, boil 6-8 cups of water over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. When the water is boiling, slowly add the quinoa and boil uncovered for 11-14 minutes. After 10 minutes, start checking the quinoa for doneness. The quinoa is done when the "dot" in the middle of the quinoa starts to disappear and when some of the white filaments start to come off the seeds. Drain the quinoa over a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
  2. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the quinoa with the rest of the ingredients. Add ¾ of the dressing and toss thoroughly. Season to taste with extra salt and pepper. Toss in the remaining dressing right before serving.
For the Dressing:
  1. In a small bowl, use a wire whisk to blend ingredients.
Notes
adapted from Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food

 

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