viniagrette

Red, White, and Blueberry Beet Salad

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Reprinted from July 2019

Here’s a fun, festive, 4th of July salad for your holiday table. My sister made this one up just for the occasion (and because she knows I LOVE beets, even if she doesn’t!)

It calls for 4 very basic ingredients as well as a basic vinaigrette dressing made with red-wine vinegar. You can whisk one up yourself, or use a bottled one you’ve purchased, whichever get’s the job done to your satisfaction and gets you out of the kitchen and back into the celebration as quickly as possible.

You’ll wow your guests (or your hosts) when you place this on the banquet table!

Red, White, and Blueberry Beet Salad

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 large beets, peeled, cooked (you may boil or roast - your choice), cooled, and cubed

  • 2 pints of blueberries, washed and drained

  • 6-8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

  • a bed of baby spinach

For the dressing:

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced

  • ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Make the vinaigrette dressing:

    1. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine all of the ingredients except oil. Stir well with a small whisk.

    2. Drop a single drop of oil into the mixture and whisk briskly, add another drop and continue to whisk, then add remaining oil in a stream, continuing to whisk until well blended.

    3. Taste, and adjust as necessary.

  2. Place cooked cubed beets in large bowl, add blueberries, pour viniagrette over top and mix well.

  3. Place baby spinach leaves on serving platter.

  4. Layer dressed beets and blueberries over the top of spinach, then sprinkle liberally with crumbled feta cheese.

  5. Refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy this salad, bursting with red, white, and blue flavor, as we celebrate our great nation’s birthday! I hope your 4th full of your favorite ingredients, and mixes up to be a happy and safe holiday!