Triple Red Salad: Beet & Tomato w/Raspberry-Orange Vinaigrette

I had a big beet. I had some leftover grape tomatoes. I craved a refreshing salad.

I ran through the beet preparations options: raw, roast or boiled. I love the crunch of a raw beet but they need to be either super julienned or mandolin thin. I wanted a dice shape and a bit more flavor so opted for roasting the big beet, but peeled and diced before cooking.

In keeping with the red theme, I discovered I had raspberry vinegar.

And voilà, a triple red salad!

Yields 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 big or 2 medium-sized beets, peeled and chopped into a large dice (about 1-1/2″)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1-1/2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on baking sheet.

Mix beets, 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper in bowl until well coated. Spread beets evenly onto baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes until tender.

For the dressing, mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar and orange juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Once the beets have cooled, toss with tomato halves and dressing. If you have little chunk of feta or goat cheese, sprinkling it on top of the salad would also be yummy.