Easy Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad
Fennel and Roasted Beet Salad with Walnut Crumbs Perfect for a Healthy Treat
This fennel and roasted beet salad is popping with brightness, freshness, and lots of flavors. The salad features crispy walnut crumbs, fresh herbs, and an easy citrus vinaigrette. This salad is so yummy that you would not stop eating it.
This fennel and roasted beet salad will make you fall in love with salads.
I love the beautiful colors in this roasted beet and fennel salad recipe. The vibrant green of arugula, the golden beets, the pale pink shallot, the lightness of shaved fennel, and the dots of white goat feta cheese makes this salad so colorful.
It is full of textures and fun flavors and textures that are often neglected when people make salads (fennel, goat feta, walnut crumbs, and juicy oranges!).
The salad is a refreshing, light, perfect meal with some protein or a side dish for warmer weather.
The salad futures several nutritional powerhouses:
- Fennel: contain anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory compounds; it is high in antioxidants.
- Beets: high in iron, potassium, antioxidants, fiber, and nitrates. Beets are great for the liver and detoxification.
- Oranges: high in vitamin C, boost the immune system, and help with collagen production.
- Walnuts: are rich in antioxidants in omega omega-3 fatty acids, and they have anti-inflammatory properties.
Great flavor is the main ingredient in a well-combined salad, and great salad beams with flavors and colors. This recipe has earthy walnuts, anise-flavored fennel, and earthy and sweet beets paired with zingy citrus vinaigrette topped with fresh herbs.
I love to add different vegetables and fruit to my salad for textural variety. It is a must in my culinary book to cerate a delicious salad. We have so many various textures in this salad like; the creaminess of goat feta cheese, juiciness from oranges, crispiness from walnuts, a slight chewiness from the roasted beets, and crunchiness from fennel.
How to make fennel and beet salad
Roast the beets: Lightly rub the beets with olive oil and pour 1/2 cup of water into the baking sheet. Cover with parchment paper and roast at 425°F/218°C until soft.
Tip: I don’t slice the beet tails before roasting because keeping them on keeps the juice in the beets. (If you buy intact beets with leaves) You can also use golden beets that I like a lot instead of red beets.
Slice the fennel stalks: Cut the fennel bulb vertically, then slice horizontally into thin rings. I like to use a mandolin, so my slices are nice and thin.
Make the walnut crumbs: Chop walnuts in the food processor. Add the ghee or olive oil to the frying. Heat it and add finely chopped walnuts. Cook until slightly brown and allow to cool. You can add some nutritional yeast for a savory flavor. Don’t skip this step because the crumbs will add a texture to your salad that you want to experience.
For a nut-free version, you can use sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
Mix the roasted beets, herbs, preserved lemon, fennel, walnuts crumbs, and fennel fronds in a large bowl and combine everything.
Add chopped oranges arugula and gently toss to combine. Pour some citrus vinaigrette and sprinkle with feta goat cheese. If you want to make a vegan version, just skip the cheese and use olive oil instead of ghee.
Please try this roasted beet and fennel salad a try, tag me with your recreations on Instagram and leave a rating and review below! It’s very much appreciated!
Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium red or golden beets
- 2 medium fennel bulbs reserve fronds for salad
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- Red pepper flakes
- Himalayan salt
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 large avocado, cut into small chunks
- goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C.
- Prep the beets. Wash and scrub the beets clean. Rub the beets with olive oil with a brush or fingers.
- Roast the beets. Place the beets in a casserole-style or baking dish (or Dutch oven). Add some water to the pan and cover the pan with its lid. You can also wrap it with parchment paper. You can also use a cookie sheet for roasting the beets. Roast for 45-90 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Roast the fennel (you can do it simultaneously with the beets). Wash the fennel and slice the stalks off. Reserve the leftover fronds. Slice each bulb vertically, then slice horizontally into wedges (1/3 to 1/2 inch thick). Mix with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan—roast for 225 minutes. Chop 3 tablespoons of the fennel fronds and set them aside for later use.
- Cool the beets and peel off the skins ( I like to use paper towels to scrape the skin, and I wear gloves for the red beets). Cut the stems off and discard them. Slice the beets into thin half-moons.
- Make the walnut bread crumbs. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee or extra virgin olive oil. Let it melt, then add the chopped walnuts. Cook for 1 minute, frequently stirring to prevent burning. You can add some red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast and cook for another 20 seconds until very aromatic. Transfer the walnuts to a cutting board and spread them out, and allow them to cool.
- Make the citrus vinaigrette.
- Assemble the salad. Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing and top with avocado.
