Beet and Kale Salad with Candied Walnuts, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese (vegetarian, gluten-free)

In this salad the earthly brightness of beets meets the wholesome crunch of kale in a twist on a traditional beet salad.  I've added all the players of a regular beet salad, goat cheese, candied walnuts, and pickled red onion but paired it with the substance of the kale leaf.  Also traditionally you would use a balsamic dressing which helps to carry the deep earthy flavor of the beets.  I decided to highlight some of the beets brighter notes with a grapefruit and ginger vinaigrette.  I think either type of dressing would work well here.

This salad is multifaceted in its construction and I explain how to best build this salad based on the timing of each procedure.  I start with the beets because a large beet takes about an hour to roast.  I make the dressing next and then add the other salad components.  While the beets are roasting the kale then has time to marinate in the dressing.  I recommend letting the salad sit one hour before eating, you can eat it sooner but more time lets the citrus juice and olive oil soften the kale, making it more palatable.  Next I explain how to pickle onions, as they take about 30 minutes to set but the longer they sit the better.  Lastly I give you the recipe for candied walnuts.  The walnuts also take about 20 minutes to prepare.  My hope is that you can make each of these components, while other things are cooking and marinating and finish the salad in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  I recommend making this salad the night before for any company you might be having.  The beets, kale and pickled onions only improve when they have time to marinate. The walnuts and goat cheese can be stored separately or with the salad, but the nuts will stay crunchier stored separately.  It will stay fresh for a week covered in the refrigerator. 

A note on the nuts.  I like the nuts in my salad only slightly sweet, so add more sugar if you'd like.  There are many different methods for candying nuts.  I chose this way because it seemed to me the simplest.  I just toss them quickly with brown sugar dissolved in a little water and salt and bake them until lightly browned.  This method makes them only a tad sweet with a distinct toasty flavor.

I like to make this salad for my vegan friends by replacing the goat cheese with diced avocado. Also if the beets come with their greens still attached, cut off the greens, rinse well, and use them sliced thin in the salad or reserve them for another use

Makes 2 entrée sized portions


Recipe:
Roasted Beets:
1 large beet or a few smaller beets
1 tsp. olive oil.
salt and pepper


Recipe:
Grapefruit Ginger Dressing:
Juice of 1 large, ripe grapefruit plus zest of half the grapefruit
Juice of 1 lemon plus zest of the full lemon
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. fine grated ginger
1 clove fine grated garlic
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper


Recipe:
Kale Salad:
grapefruit ginger dressing
1 bunch of kale
2 carrots
1 large diced roasted beet
8 oz. or 1/4 c. goat cheese 
1 c. candied walnuts
1/4 c. pickled red onions

 
Recipe:
Pickled Red Onions:
1 large red onion
1 c. vinegar (white, red wine, or apple cider)
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt.
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. ground sumac (optional)


Recipe:
Candied Walnuts:
1 c. raw  halved walnuts
4 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. water
1 tsp. salt


Method:
Roasted Beets:
1. Start by roasting the beet, or beets if you use a few smaller beets. Rinse beet of all dirt.
2. Peirce the beet, wrap in foil, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Smaller beets will start to soften at 25 minutes.  The beet is ready once it is soft enough to be pierced through with a fork.

3. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip their peels off with your fingers. They should slide off easily. Also the beet juice will stain your fingers for a day or so.  Use a paring knife and some gloves if you don't want to be dyed pink.
4. Dice the beets to about 1 inch x 1 inch.  Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper and set aside.


Method:
Grapefruit Ginger Dressing:
1. In a large salad bowl zest the grapefruit and lemon.

2. Squeeze the juice from the grapefruit and lemon, straining out the seeds
3. Use a microplane or other fine grating tool to grate the garlic and ginger into the bowl.

4. Whisk in olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.


Method:
Kale Salad:
1. Wash carrots and grate into the salad bowl with dressing. 
2. Rinse kale thoroughly.
3. Cut stem away from the leaf and cut kale into1 inch, bite-sized pieces. 

4. Add kale to the salad bowl and begin to mix and even massage the kale with the salad dressing mixture.
5. Set aside for 1 hour.


Method:
Pickled Red Onion:
1. Slice the onion into very fine, thin slices.

2. Place in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
3. In a saucepan heat vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and sumac, mixing until dissolved.
4. Add red onion slices, simmering for 30 seconds then remove from heat.

5. Let the onions sit in the liquid for at least 30 minutes.
6. Add to salad.
7. Any leftovers can be stored with the liquid in a air-tight container for several months.  Quadruple the recipe and make enough to add to later meals.


Method:
Candied Walnuts:
1. Mix brown sugar, salt and water in a small bowl.

2. Toss together with walnuts.

3. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping nuts halfway through.
4. Let cool completely before adding to the salad.


Assembling the Mess:
1. Once all the components are complete mix in with the kale in the large salad bowl.
2. Crumble goat cheese on top.
3. Serve with pride!


ENJOY!