Roast beets & whip up a beautiful Southern appetizer or side

Beets are a largely underused and under-appreciated vegetable. Try a new beet recipe tonight with this Southern wild rice & roasted beet salad! Bite-sized pieces of sweet roasted beets are tossed with wild rice, chopped pecans and their own chopped greens to make a delicious and healthy whole-grain salad. Creamy feta or gorgonzola cheese is crumbled on top to cut through the bold flavors.

While the recipe below has an extended cooking time, the majority of the time is attributed to cooking the rice and roasting the vegetables. Once these things are prepared, the dish comes together very quickly. This is a perfect salad to make for the beginning of any meal, or to just eat by itself for any lunch or dinner.

Southern Wild Rice & Roasted Beet Salad

4-6

20 mins

2 hrs

2h 45mins

3 whole beets w/ greens attached (or use another green)

2/3 cup wild rice, uncooked

1½ teaspoons olive oil

1 2/3 cup water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

¼ cup crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese

Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Prepare beets by removing the tops and trimming the end of the root. Wash the beets and the greens thoroughly. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil, and place on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the oven, and roast beets for 1-1½ hours, until beets are fork tender. When done roasting, remove the foil and allow to cool for 15 mins. Remove skin from the beets, and chop into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

While beets are roasting, coarsely chop 3 cups of greens, and set aside.

Rinse the wild rice in a sieve or colander to remove excess starch. Add rice and water to a small saucepan, bring up to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.

Cover the saucepan and allow the rice to simmer until the rice is fully cooked and some of the grains have started to crack, about 45-50 mins. When cooked, drain rice in a colander and rinse again with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain.

In a medium skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the greens, shallot, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook down until the leaves are wilted and the onion and garlic are lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 mins.

Add chopped pecans to the skillet and toss together until the pecans are warm, about 2 mins.

To serve, pour the cooked and cooled wild rice in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Top rice with roasted beet pieces and chopped greens/pecan mixture. Gently toss together until all ingredients are well mixed. Top mixed salad with crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese, pair with your favorite salad dressing, and serve.

Pro-tip: We recommend using a vinaigrette or other vinegar-based dressing for this salad.

Pro-tip: You can allow the salad to chill in the fridge for up to a half hour to let the flavors blend.