Orange, Beet, and Fennel Salad
Adapted from
Vegetable Heaven
Preparation time: 1 hour, plus time to chill (15 minutes of
work)
Yield: 6 or more servings
I think you will love this, even if you
mistakenly think you don't love beets or fennel. This salad is
irresistibly colorful and refreshing.
- The oranges and beets can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. In
fact, it's preferable to do the oranges ahead, so they can give off
a lot of juice.
- I like to put in the full amount of garlic. It gives this very
cool salad a nice touch of heat.
10 medium beets (about 2 inches in
diameter)
5 or 6 oranges
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
Finely minced fennel tops, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 375°F, and line a baking dish with foil.
Trim the leaves from the beets, place them in the dish, and cover
with foil. Bake until they are soft enough to be pierced easily
with a fork (about 1 hour). Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, use a medium-sized serrated knife to cut the peel
from the oranges, then section them over a bowl to catch all the
juice. (To section an orange, just cut with a sawing motion up and
down the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze the remaining
juice into the bowl, and discard the membranes.)
- When the beets are cool enough to handle, use a small, sharp
paring knife to peel them, then cut them first in half, and then
into thin half-moon-shaped slices. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl,
and add the vinegar, salt, garlic, and orange sections with all
their juice. Stir until well combined.
- Add the sliced fennel and stir again. Cover tightly and chill
until serving time.
- Serve topped with a light sprinkling of the minced fennel
tops.