Prepare yourselves for a new way to enjoy beets! This grated carrot and beet salad is a lovely way to celebrate the winter root veggies. Tossed together with a blood orange vinaigrette this salad also capitalizes on the beauty of citrus season!
Combined with fibrous farro, chewy dates, and toasted walnuts, this grated carrot and beet salad is a stellar main dish for lunch or dinner.
Beet Benefits in this Grated Beet Salad
Over the years of CSA membership, we've received beets each winter and I've learned to love them. I'll often roast the beets, make a beet hummus, or use them in smoothies. With the proper cooking methods, these are a stellar vegetable to add to your dinner rotation. As the Cleveland Clinic notes: Beets are rich in fiber, a great source of potassium, high in antioxidants, and hold a host of anti-inflammatory properties (source: Cleveland Clinic). What's not to love about beets?
Lately, I've been enjoying the combo of grated beets and carrots in this salad. Grating or shredding the beets is a great way to enjoy the beets in the their raw form. Combined with grated carrot, this salad is definitely nutrient dense and deliciously healthy.
A Standout Salad Dressing
What also makes this salad stand out is the dressing. Made from blood oranges and a bit of lemon, the dressing is a perfect balance of slightly sweet and slightly acidic. This helps to both tenderize the raw beet and carrot while also complimenting the sweetness of both root vegetables. It's a great dressing to have on rotation during peak citrus season!
This grated carrot and beet salad will become a new lunch favorite. The dressing is super adaptable, too, so if you do not have blood oranges on hand feel free to use navel or valencia oranges instead. I highlight recommend using blood oranges if you can get them given their season is brief but beautiful!
Let me know if you make this recipe! Tag me on Instagram: @franceskellar. I'd love to see how your creation turns out!
Want More Salad Ideas?
Head to All Recipes on the blog and check out more salad recipes there. This Roast Butternut Squash with Farro Salad is a great one to use up more farro and to incorporate fall or winter squash like butternut to the mix.
Grated Carrot and Beet Salad
Ingredients
Beet and Carrot Salad
- 3 beets peeled and shredded
- 3 carrots peeled and shredded
- ½ cup walnuts toasted
- 1 cup farro
- 2 cups water
- Pinch kosher salt
- 4 dates pits removed and roughly chopped
- 2 cups roughly chopped beet greens
- ¼ cup finely chopped basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves
Blood Orange Vinaigrette
- 2 blood oranges zest and juice
- ½ lemon juice zest and juice
- 1 heaping teaspoon maple syrup
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan filled with 2 cups of water to boil. Stir in 1 cup of farro and a pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes until farro is tender to the bite. Set aside to cool.
- While the farro cooks, peel and grate the beets and carrots. Using a food processor fitted with the shredded/grate blade, grate beets and carrots until shredded. Alternatively, you can use the largest grate on a hand grater to grate the vegetables. Scoop grated vegetables into a large prep bowl and set to the side.
- Prepare the dressing by first zesting the blood orange and lemon into a small bowl. Add the juice of each along with a teaspoon of maple syrup for just a hint of sweetness. Add in a pinch of kosher salt and pepper before whisking it all together while pour in ¼ cup of olive oil in a steady stream. Whisk up well incorporated.
- Give parsley, basil, and beet greens a chop then add them to the bowl with the carrots and beets. Remove the pits of dates and give those a chop before adding them to the same bowl.
- Once farro is cooked and cooled slightly, using a spoon with a strainer, scoop the strained farro into the bowl with the carrots, beets, dates, and greens. Give it all a gentle toss before pouring in the dressing and tossing all together. Garnish with chopped toasted walnuts and diced avocado.
Leave a Reply