Vegetarian Recipe: Moroccan Beet Salad

Every week on the Good Food Blog we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.

Cheryl Forberg, author of Stop the Clock! Defy Aging – Eat the Foods you Love first shared this recipe for Moroccan Beat Salad on May 10, 2003.

Keep reading for the full recipe…

Moroccan Beet Salad

Makes 8 servings

Dressing:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon sorghum syrup or dark honey

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Salt to taste

Salad:

8 medium-large beets (about 2 pounds) with green tops

1 cup peeled, halved, seeded, chopped tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, without stems

Prepare dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Makes about 3/4 cup dressing.

Prepare salad:

Wash the beets well, being careful not to break their skins. Cut off the tops, leaving a stalk of about 1 1/2 inches. Reserve green tops and set aside. Place beets in a 3-quart saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until a knife can be easily inserted and removed, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool in cooking water. Slip off the beet skins, trim off the tops, and cut beets into bite-size pieces. Toss beets and tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the dressing. Set aside to marinate.

Wash greens. Transfer greens, with some water still clinging to the leaves, to a large pot over high heat. Cook, stirring until just wilted but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain greens and squeeze out excess moisture. Cool slightly. Chop coarsely.

Transfer greens to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the dressing and toss to coat. Season greens with salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes and beets in the center of a platter and surround with greens. Garnish with cilantro. Pass remaining dressing separately.

Beet Facts:

Beet greens have twice as much potassium as the beets themselves, and they are loaded with the antioxidant beta-carotene. Some studies have shown that they contain a compound that suppresses cravings for nicotine.