Description

Beet and fennel salad makes a great side dish to any meal. It’s easy to make, and lasts in the fridge for up to 1 week making it great for meal prep.

Ingredients

Units Scale

salad

1 pound beets
1 fennel bulb

balsamic vinaigrette

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey, or maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

optional toppings

reserved fennel leaves, chopped
fresh dill, or basil, torn
1/3 cup salted, roasted, and shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

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Instructions

Prepare your beets: When you get the beets home from the store cut the green tops off the beets, leaving behind 1 inch of the stems. Store them in the plastic bag they came in. When you’re ready to use them, scrub them clean, and cut off the tail end of the beets.
To cook the beets in the instant pot: Note: this is my preferred method for cooking beets. If you want to roast your beets, skip this step and see the next step. To a 6 quart instant pot, or electric pressure cooker add 1 cup water. Place the trivet insert into the instant pot, place the beets on top of the trivet so they are not touching the water. Lock your lid in place, and set the nozzle to “sealing”. Turn your instant pot on, and select “manual”, then select “high pressure”, then change the cook time to 20 minutes (for smaller beets), or 25 minutes (for larger beets). Once the beets are done cooking, force release the steam, and remove the lid. Pierce them with a fork. If the fork releases easily, then they are ready to go. If they need more time, then cook them for another 5 minutes. Use tongs to transfer them to a plate, or plastic cutting board to cool slightly.
To roast the beets: Note: If using the instant pot method, skip this step, and use the instant pot directions above. Also, keep in mind that roasting the beets takes longer than using the instant pot. After washing the beets, make sure to dry them well for this cooking method. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap the beets loosely in foil. Place the beets on rimmed baking sheet. Roast them for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the beets are fork tender. Remove the foil, and transfer the beets to a plate, or plastic cutting board to cool slightly.
Peel the beets: Once the beets have been cooked, allow the beets to cool, just enough to handle. Use a few paper towels to peel the skin off the beets, it should come off really easily (this is easier to do while the beets are still warm, so don’t let them get cold).
Chop the beets: Place a the peeled beets on a plastic cutting board (beets will stain a wood cutting board, also be careful of your clothes), and use a sharp knife to slice off the root end of the beets. Then, cut the beets into 1/2 inch cubes. Spread the beets out on the cutting board so that they cool faster.
Chop the fennel: On a separate cutting board (doesn’t need to be plastic), cut the fennel into 1 inch strips. Be sure to reserve the fennel leaves, if using, they have great flavor.
Make the balsamic vinaigrette: To a large mixing bowl add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey (or maple syrup), Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper – whisk until well combined. Taste, and adjust the dressing as needed. Keep in mind that it should be well seasoned because it will be seasoning the entire salad.
Combine: To the balsamic vinaigrette, add the now cooled beets, and the chopped fennel. Toss everything together until the veggies are well coated in the vinaigrette.
Chill: Optional step. You can serve this salad immediately, but it is a little better when it has chilled for at least 2 hours.
Serve: To serve this salad, spoon some of the salad into serving bowls and top with a generous sprinkle of the chopped, salted pistachios, along with the reserved fennel leaves, and/or dill, or basil. Only add the garnishes just before eating, otherwise they get soggy. This salad keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week!!!

Notes

Beets stain: A warning – beets will stain your clothes, hands, and wooden cutting boards. Be cautious when working with them. I like to use a plastic cutting board to prevent staining my good wooden cutting boards, and I be careful with my clothes. You can wear gloves if you’re worried about staining your fingers, but I don’t have too much trouble with this since I use the paper towels to peel the skin off, and I wash my hands right away after touching them.

Leftovers: This salad makes great leftovers. The fennel stays crunchy for up to a week, making this a great meal prep option. Be sure to add the toppings just before serving though, they will get soggy if they sit with the dressing.

vegan: to make this recipe vegan be sure to use maple syrup instead of honey for the dressing.

Cook time: I wrote the cook time below to reflect the cook time needed for the instant pot method. If roasting the beets, increase the cook time to 50 to 60 minutes. (BTW, I highly recommend the instant pot method, if you can. It really makes making this salad effortless).