Looking to brighten up your gray winter day? Then look no further than my Arugula, Orange and Beet Salad. This salad is light and refreshing and a nice departure from those heavy, rich foods we’ve all been eating the last few months. Winter is the time to enjoy fresh citrus and that’s exactly what you’ll find in this salad…lots and lots of fresh orange. Yum!
Let’s start by making the dressing. Grab a pint-sized glass mason jar and tight-fitting lid. Add the juice of one orange to the jar (about ½ cup of juice), along with ½ cup of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of champagne vinegar, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon of poppy seeds and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Screw the lid onto the mason jar and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Set aside.
Next, wash 6 ounces of baby arugula and arrange over a large plate or platter. Cut the peel from one large orange, then thinly slice it. Thinly slice two medium-sized roasted beets (see roasting instructions below) and arrange both the beets and orange slices over the arugula. Drizzle large spoonfuls of the dressing over the salad and serve the rest of the dressing on the side. Note: this is a light dressing, so you’ll want to be generous. Finish the salad with chunks of feta cheese, or a generous pinch of flaky Maldon salt if you’d like to keep the salad dairy-free. This recipe serves 4.
Arugula, Orange and Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 6 oz baby arugula
- 1 large orange
- 2 roasted beets
- ¼ cup feta cheese (optional)
- pinch of Maldon salt (optional)
Orange Poppyseed Dressing
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (from one large orange)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp champagne vinegar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¾ tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Grab a pint-sized glass mason jar and tight-fitting lid. Add the juice of one orange to the jar, along with the olive oil, champagne vinegar, kosher salt, poppy seeds and maple syrup. Screw the lid onto the mason jar and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Wash 6 ounces of baby arugula and arrange the leaves over a large plate or platter. Cut the peel from one large orange, then thinly slice it. Thinly slice two medium-sized roasted beets (see roasting instructions below) and arrange both the beets and orange slices over the arugula.
- Drizzle large spoonfuls of the dressing over the salad and serve the rest of the dressing on the side. Note: this is a light dressing, so you’ll want to be generous.
- Finish the salad with chunks of feta cheese, or a generous pinch of flaky Maldon salt if you’d like to keep the salad dairy-free. Serve immediately and enjoy!
- Roasting Beets: To roast beets, wash and cut the ends off of your beets, drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly in tin foil. Bake the beets at 350 deg F for 60-75 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool and enjoy!
