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Warm Roasted Beet and Portobello Salad

By Carolyn Niethammer

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as an entrée

Ingredients

3 medium beets
3 portobello mushroom caps
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 1/2 ounces goat cheese
10 ounces arugula or baby spinach
1/4 cup picked parsley leaves
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
2 shallots, sliced into thin rounds
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the beets and place on a large sheet of foil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fold the sides up to make a sealed pouch. Wipe off the mushroom caps, place them on another large sheet of foil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and fold the sides up to make a sealed pouch. Place both pouches in the oven. Bake the mushrooms for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Bake the beets for approximately 45 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard and olive oil and set aside. When the beets and mushrooms are fully cooked, remove from the oven. Slice the mushrooms into strips. With a knife, remove the tops of the beets, slide the skins off with your hands. Slice the beets and toss with the warm mushrooms and goat cheese, cover with foil so they stay warm until you serve them.

In a salad bowl, toss together the arugula, walnuts, shallots, parsley and dressing. Place onto plates and top with the beet and mushroom mixture.

Nutrition Highlights

Beets provide potassium, vitamins A and C, magnesium, riboflavin, iron, copper, calcium and zinc.

Tips

Beets prepared this way can be used warm or cold in a variety of dishes. If you are cooking a lot of them, they can be roasted in a roasting pan covered with foil.