Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with Pistachio
- By Amy Dong
- Published Aug. 17, 2013
- Updated Aug. 17, 2022
The last time we got together with our foodie friends for dinner (aka Gourmet Club), it was our turn to do the apps and salad. Appetizers are always ridiculously fun, with endless possibilities. I went with my Peaches and Honey Crostini with Blue Cheese for the apps, which was an absolute hit. Salads require some thinking for these kind of nights, because I always want something unique with a gourmet flair, yet simple enough. I also want to be able to prep it ahead of time. I know I’m asking a lot.
So, Hubby went gleaning at the farmer’s market and found us some beeeautiful beets. Red as red can be. Fresh, local, and wonderfully sweet. Simply gorgeous food. One of my forever food wishes is that all food makers would use great food like beets as natural food coloring, rather than icky Red No. 40 or 3. That’s a different soapbox altogether.
Back on course – Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with Pistachio, here we come.
The only camera I had ready was my iphone while roasting this nice yellow pepper below; that’s why this picture looks the way it does. So sorry. But I really wanted to show you how easy it is to roast peppers with no special equipment (unless you have an electric stovetop; then this would be considered very special equipment.) If you haven’t roasted peppers this way, it’s time now. It couldn’t be simpler or tastier to roast your own sweet peppers at home.
This Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with Pistachio has some fabulous stuff going on. Bright red, sweet beets and sweet peppers. Savory, creamy blue cheese. Salty, crunchy pistachios. It just works. All the flavors complement each other so perfectly.
Sweet, savory, tangy, creamy, and crunchy. It’s all there, and it’s pretty to boot. Impressive yet so simple. If you’re looking for something different for your next salad, this is it. Give it a spin; we think you’ll love it!
Enjoy!
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Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with Pistachio
Ingredients
- 3 large fresh red beets, about 2 lbs without greens
- 2 sweet yellow peppers
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 TB fresh lemon juice
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz crumbled blue cheese, Gorgonzola or Roquefort work well
- ⅓ cup salted pistachios without shells, roughly chopped
Instructions
- To roast beets, preheat oven to 425F. Separately wrap each beet tightly in heavy foil. Place on baking pan and roast in middle of oven until beets are tender, approx. 1.5 hours. Let cool a bit, unwrap beets, and let cool completely. When cool, slip skins off and dice the beets. Set aside.
- To roast peppers, place clean peppers directly on medium-high flame of stovetop. Using tongs, turn peppers over as each side gets cooked (skin will be charred.) Once entire pepper is charred on the skins, remove from flame and let cool. Once cool, use fingers to slip skins off peppers under cold running water. Seed and dice roasted peppers. Set aside.
- Whisk together shallt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil for the dressing.
- In separate plates, evenly distribute the diced beets and peppers. Pour dressing evenly over each plate of beets and peppers. Top each place with crumbled blue cheese, followed by chopped pistachios. Serve immediately.
- Note: Beets and peppers can be roasted and diced the day before. Keep chilled and bring back to room temp when ready to serve. Dressing can also be made the day before and kept chilled; whisk before using.
Nutrition (per serving)
Source: Chew Out Loud, adapted from Gourmet