Fennel and Beet Salad is made by roasting slices of fennel and gold beet that is dressed in pomegranate vinaigrette and topped with crunchy red walnuts. White grapefruit slices tucked in between the roasted veggies add a citrusy twist that is so refreshing when served on a bed of bright beet greens.
Although I am classifying this salad under the American cuisine, both fennel and beets are native to Southern Europe basked by the temperate Mediterranean Sea and have been cultivated for millennia. Both the Romans and Greeks cultivated these plants, and they had a variety of therapeutic and cosmetic uses.
My first introduction to the incredible Fennel and Beet Salad was when I was traveling with my husband in Pennsylvania. I had this cool salad accompanied by goat cheese on a very hot day, and trust me, that made an impression. Over the years, I have experimented with a variety of salads using both fennel and beets, accompanied by cheeses and dressings and this combination was the one I settled on. I love the combination of fruit, plant, and nuts which, as you will see below are incredibly healthy and will create a taste riot of surprisingly complex yet complementary flavors.
Fennel and Beet Salad can be both an accompaniment to roast meats or a main meal in itself. Raw fennel has a licorice or anise-like flavor. But when you roast it, it reduces the intensity of that licorice-like flavor, while giving it a nice burst of flavor that comes with a light char. Now, add the gold beet that has been dressed in a pomegranate vinaigrette. The vinaigrette mellows out the geosmin, while the tartness of the pomegranate offsets the deep sweetness of the beets. Accentuate that tartness by adding the bright citrusy notes of white grapefruit. The slight bitterness of the grapefruit adds to the complex flavors that are beginning to build. Bed them in the freshness of salad greens that round and absorb the strength of these rich juices. To provide a textural contrast, garnish with crunchy red walnuts and you now have a party in your mouth with every bite!
Interesting facts about fennel:
Fennel is a member of the carrot or parsley family and is related to cumin, dill, caraway, and the anise. The common theme amongst all these plants is that their seeds are incredibly aromatic and are used all over the world. Fennel has a bit of history and is mostly associated with the Battle of Marathon. In fact, the phrase “Marathon” is Greek for fennel and supposedly, the battle itself was fought in a field of, you guessed it, fennel. The fennel is a diverse and useful plant, in that all parts of the plant can be used. The seeds themselves are used to flavor slices of bread and biscuits, they can be pickled, and used to garnish salads. The stems can be used to flavor and accompany meats and seafood on grills, and the leaves are added to salads. You can even make a tisane out of fennel. The fragrant oils are added to soaps and other cosmetics.
Interesting facts about beets:
The beet is no slouch. Many people don’t like the smell of beets because they tend to have an earthy smell. As a gardener, I love that fresh earth smell, especially after spring rains. The smell is caused by a naturally occurring aromatic compound called geosmin, and this compound gives beet its distinctive smell. The beet is an good source of antioxidants, folic acid, potassium, and fiber, as well as antioxidants called betalains, which are being studied for their anti-cancer properties. In fact, it is betalain that gives the beets their deep red hue and were used as an early form of natural lipstick and cheek blushers. While the most common color for beets is the distinctive dark red or sometimes candy cane, they also range from white to yellow.
How to choose/prepare the veggies:
- Beets: Choose beets that are firm to touch and have a sturdy skin. The beet’s greens must be bright and not wilted. Peel the outer skin and cut it into slices. If you like using red beets, lightly oil your palms and the board while cutting them so that the stains can be washed off easily. I like to leave the red beet slices rubbed with olive oil in a small colander for a few minutes before tossing them into the Fennel and Beet Salad.
- Fennel: Look for firm fennel with bright green fronds and a clean white outer skin and you should avoid bulbs that have soft spots or browning. Fennel can be stored for about a week in your refrigerator wrapped in plastic. As with any fruit or vegetable, wash and clean the fennel bulb. You should also remove the core by cutting through the bulb and gutting the core. While you can trim the leaves and stalks, you can reserve them later to garnish dishes.
Ingredients and their benefits:
- Fennel:
- Heart Health: An excellent source of fiber and has heart-friendly nutrients like potassium and folate.
- Healthy skin: Contains beta-carotene and vitamin C, which are important for collagen production and tissue repair, which maintain healthy skin and mucous membranes protecting organs.
- Anti-inflammatory: Again, being rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids (quercetin), fennel can help reduce inflammation.
- Weight management: Fennel is low in calories and has a low glycemic index complemented by a high fiber content that helps maintain blood sugar.
- Red blood production: Fennel contains folate, which is necessary for red blood cell formation, especially during pregnancy.
Note: If you are allergic to carrots and celery, you may also be allergic to fennel.
- Beets:
- Betalains:
- Antioxidants: As I mentioned earlier, beets get their coloring from betalains. Betalains are a source of antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, or other diseases.
- Anti-inflammatory properties include managing Type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and asthma.
- Fiber: Being high in fiber, beets can help you manage blood sugar levels, a healthy weight, promote regular bowel movement, and lower LDL cholesterol.
- Nitrates: So now you’re confused. Aren’t nitrates bad? Well, it turns out that nitrates or nitric acid keep your body healthy, acting as antimicrobials in the digestive system and promoting gut health while also helping to widen blood vessels. On the other hand, while manufacturers use nitrate and nitrites to keep processed food safe, when high heat is applied to nitrites and amino acids, they can form carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines, which is how processed food is prepared.
- Betalains:
- Walnuts:
- Cholesterol busters: Walnuts have polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. This helps reduce LDL (or bad) cholesterol, but also reduce plaque formation in your artery walls.
- Inflammation: They ease inflammation that can lead to heart disease by almost 50%, and they may reduce your blood clot that can cause heart attacks.
- Anti-cancer: The bacteria in your gut convert the ellagic acid found in walnuts or pecans to antioxidative compounds which may help ward off cancer.
Note: If you have a nut allergy, then you may want to avoid walnuts. Walnuts are also high-calorie foods.
4. Pomegranate:
- Digestive health: high fiber is important to digestive health and a half-cup of pomegranate seeds contains about 3.5 grams of fiber.
- Heart health: In addition to digestive health, pomegranates can also lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and are rich in potassium, which helps manage high blood pressure.
- Diabetes management: In addition to lowering LDL and promoting HDL (good), compounds in pomegranate protect against oxidative stress and cell damage that affect people with type 2 diabetes.
5. Grapefruit:
- If you’re starting to see a theme here, you’re not mistaken. Antioxidants: While also protecting from damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals, grapefruit is also an excellent source of beta-carotene that can improve eye health and also has lycopene which can reduce the risk of cancer.
- Potassium and fiber help manage blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as weight, and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Why you would love the Fennel and Beet Salad:
- Flavorful salad with the addition of grapefruit slices for a tangy, citrusy burst to the roasted beets and fennel
- Quick to make as roasted veggies require less attention
- Variations of this salad can be made with carrots and radishes or swapping out the beets for celery
- Fennel can be eaten raw but roasting makes the salad pop with the subtle anise-flavor
- Red walnuts add crunch to the Fennel and Beet Salad
- Pomegranate vinaigrette is bright, bold and makes this salad wow-worthy
How to make the Fennel and Beet Salad:
- Prepare the veggies:
- Peel the beets and core the fennel. Make thick slices of the veggies. Mix with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place the slices on a grill on top of a foil-lined tray.
- Bake at 375F for 15-17 minutes until charred at the edges.
2. How to make the Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
- Whisk the fresh pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and grated ginger together in a bowl.
- Arrange the slices of roasted fennel, beet and grapefruit segments and top with red or brown walnuts. Garnish with fennel fronds and drizzle the pomegranate vinaigrette just before serving.
1. The beets and fennel must be thickly sliced as they will shrink during roasting.
2. You could cut them into halves if you prefer, but increase the roasting time by a few more minutes. In this case, the way to test for doneness is to run a skewer into the cut half, only to be met with some resistance, as you do not want a mushy vegetable for a salad.
How to serve the Fennel and Beet Salad:
Serve this salad as a separate meal by itself or as a side with any main course. I served the salad on a platter garnished with black radish discs and fennel fronds on a bed of beet greens and pomegranate vinaigrette on the side.
How to store:
This Fennel and Beet Salad must be eaten fresh or can be refrigerated for two days but cannot be frozen.
Other salad recipes that you could make with beets:
Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad
Equipment
- By hand
Ingredients
For the Fennel and Beet Salad:
- 1 gold nugget orange segments
- 1 fennel medium
- 1 beet medium
- ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
- ½ tsp black pepper powdered
- 1 tbsp olive oil for drizzling
- ¼ cup walnuts
For the Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
- 1 tbsp pomegranate juice fresh, strained
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black peppercorn
- ½ tsp ginger grated
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Peel an orange and separate the segments. Core and slice the fennel. Peel and slice the beet into 1/4" thickness. Place the slices on a grill on top of a foil-lined tray. Air fry or bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes until slightly browned at the edges.
- Prepare the ingredients for the pomegranate vinaigrette. Use a blender to pulse fresh pomegranate seeds and strain the juice. Peel, grate or mince the ginger.Make the vinaigrette by whisking the fresh pomegranate juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and grated ginger in a bowl and keep aside.
- Mix the beet, fennel slices and orange segments in a wooden bowl.
- Drizzle the pomegranate vinaigrette and gently coat the veggie and fruit slices. Top with crushed walnuts.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
- I made the pomegranate vinaigrette using freshly pressed pomegranate seeds and straining them.
Nutrition
Such a unique and creative recipe!
this is so easy and delicious!