Join Seiran Sinjari as she dives into the sweet world of beets for the new installment of her biweekly recipe column All About the Veg! In today’s article, she revisits beets, only this time she studies them in all their multicolored glory. Her zero-waste roasted beet salad is made with beautiful golden and candy cane beets (as well as their greens) and is paired with a tangy vegan mustard mayo, toasted almonds, and vegan parmesan.
This week we’re diving into the sweet world of beets, and not just the beetroot, the beet greens are actually also edible and should never be thrown away! The whole beet plant is a nutritious powerhouse and can be used in so many ways.
My favorite ways to prepare beetroots are to pickle them, roast them, or thinly slice them (raw). I love using the greens for salads and stews. Sometimes I just sautee them with some olive oil, onions, and lemon, lovely with some bread or as a side. If the leaves are big enough I stuff them and roll them like stuffed grape leaves, they get so tender and delicious.
There are several types of beetroot, you can easily tell the difference by their color. In addition to the deep red beet, the most common one, there are golden beets, Chiogga beets also referred to as candy cane beets for their red and white rings on the inside, Blankoma beets which have a white root, and many more varieties with different shapes and colors.
For today’s recipe, I’m using golden beets and Chiogga / Candy cane beets but you can use any other beets you prefer or have on hand. And of course, we’re using their greens as well, nothing goes to waste!
Roasting beetroots enhances their natural sweetness of them and they work really well with salads or as side dishes when roasted. Since the roasted beetroots are sweet and tender I’m pairing and balancing them with a tangy vegan mustard mayo, toasted almonds, vegan parmesan, and shredded beet greens. If your beetroots come without the greens, you can use spinach or rocket instead, both pair great with roasted beetroots as well.
Ingredients
- 5 small to medium-sized golden beetroots - including half of the leaves (the rest can be chopped and frozen for later), roots quartered
- 5 small to medium-sized chioggia - candy cane beetroots, including half of the leaves (the rest can be chopped and frozen for later), roots sliced in thick rounds
- 2 + 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 ½ tbsp date syrup or maple syrup
- 2 + ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 5 tbsp toasted slivered almonds
- 6 tbsp grated vegan parmesan
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
Vegan Lemon Mustard Mayonnaise:
- 5 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp French wholegrain mustard - optional
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp agave or maple syrup
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 390ºF.
- Toss the beetroots with 2 tbsp olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Place on an oven sheet or pan and roast for 35 minutes or until tender.
- Whisk together date syrup or maple syrup with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and pour over the beetroots, gently toss and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes so they don’t burn.
- Whisk together all ingredients for the mayonnaise in a small bowl and set to the side.
- Finely chop or shred the beet greens and place them in a big bowl.
- Mix one tablespoon of the Lemon Mustard Mayonnaise with 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Pour the mixture over the beet greens and massage with your hands for a minute. Add half of the parmesan and half of the almonds, and toss until well combined.
- Place the roasted beetroots on top of the salad, and drizzle over some of the liquid from the pan.
- Top with the mayonnaise, the remaining vegan parmesan, almonds, chives, and freshly cracked pepper.
Notes
Recipe, text, and photography by Seiran Sinjari.
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I made this salad last fall and have it saved ! Its almost time for a great beet salad. My girlfriend DOES not like beets but I persuaded her to try this one and she loved it! Golden beets and Candy cane beets are delicious and the Lemon mustard mayo was such a flavorful addition. Thanks for a great recipe.
Lisa (Windsor, Ontario)
Hi Lisa! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and especially that your girlfriend loved it too. How wonderful ❤️ And we agree, golden and candy beets are delicious:)