I am elbows deep in beets at the moment. I've been experimenting with Beet Kvass recipes for a good two months (do you know what that is? You can find the recipe within the Fermentation Handouts section of this website). So I've got a kitchen full of delicious beets and there are few things better than a roasted beet salad!

Peel and cube the beets (the smaller the better) and roast them with a bit of salt and a good oil for about 40 minutes at 375 degrees F. 

I roasted my beets in lard, as I just LOVE to cook with lard (rendered on site by a good butcher, of course). Avocado oil and ghee are also among my top choices for roasting, however, olive oil should be ok at this temperature as well (but seriously, get on the lard bandwagon with me!)

Mix the roasted beets with warm or cool quinoa.

Drizzle with creamy balsamic dressing,

And top this beautiful salad with walnuts & pumpkin seeds.

Oh my goodness. Hello fall!

Roasted Beet & Quinoa Salad

Serves 2

• About 2 medium beets, peeled, cubed and tossed in sea salt & oil (avocado oil, ghee or lard) and roasted until tender (375 degrees F for about 40 minutes, depending on your oven)
• About 1.5 cups cooked quinoa
• Handful of raw walnuts
• Handful of raw or dry roasted pumpkin seeds
• Salt & pepper to taste

Balsamic Dressing

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp raw honey
• pinch of sea salt

Note: I rarely measure my dressing ingredients, if you want to adjust any amounts of anything, do so! It should be as tart or sweet as you like.

1. Whisk all salad dressing ingredients together until creamy
2. Cook the quinoa according to package directions
3. Combine warm or cooled quinoa with roasted beets, walnuts and pumpkin seeds
4. Top salad with the dressing and stir
5. Salt to taste

Enjoy!