Fallon Beet Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette
(The Slanted Porch’s healthy, tasty signature salad courtesy of chef-owner Steve Hernandez. Serves 4 – 6)
6 medium beets
6 handfuls freshly picked spring mix
½ cup crumbled Sandhill Dairy queso fresco
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Shaved red onion, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle beets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in a foil-covered, ovenproof dish until easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.
Cool beets slightly to handle. Peel and quarter beets and refrigerate until cool. (They can be prepared one day in advance.)
To assemble salad, toss mixed greens in white balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows). Top salad greens with shaved red onion, toasted pine nuts, crumbled queso fresco, and quartered beets. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
½ shallot, minced
1½ cups light-bodied oil (canola, grape seed, etc.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Combine shallots and vinegar in a bowl; let sit five minutes. Add mustard and sugar, and gently whisk to combine. Slowly add oil in a steady stream while constantly whisking to emulsify dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
