Raw Beet and Apple Salad with Orange Vinaigrette and Pecans

Since summer is the best time to enjoy salads, today Loreto, author of Flavors of Colors, invites us to prepare one that is not only delicious and light, but also gives a fun touch with the apple cut into endless spirals and the beetroot julienned. Only one thing left: say "Enjoy your meal!"

A few months ago I was lucky enough to try raw beetroot in a salad, as you can imagine I loved it. That characteristic earthy sweetness makes it pair wonderfully with fruits like apple or even oranges. Besides, beetroot has many health benefits. Did you know it’s in the same family as chard and that its leaves are also eaten?

On this occasion, we will use only the root. I was lucky enough to get some beautiful organic specimens that inspired me to make this dish I’m bringing you today, a salad that I know will become a must-have this summer and will surprise everyone who tries it.

Kitchen Craft fruit basket and Emile Henry fluted ceramic dish

We have to set aside the well-known mixed salad a bit and gradually build a wide repertoire of this type of recipes, all of them refreshing and nutritious, which will add color to our table and enliven our meals, as well as being easy and quick to prepare.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people)

• 2 large fresh beetroots
• 2 red apples
• 50gr tender leaves (lollo rosso, mâche, arugula and watercress)
• 75gr crumbled feta cheese
• 4 toasted pecans, chopped

For the orange and pecan vinaigrette:

• 10 pecans
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

PREPARATION:

1. We begin by preparing the vinaigrette. To do this we lightly toast the nuts and crush them in our Emile Henry mortar. Next we add the juice, the vinegar and the oil, mix well and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Next, with the help of the Spiralfix, with the collector container attached and set to the fine julienne mode (IIII), we will pass the beetroots through, previously washed and peeled. We will obtain thin beetroot strips of about 3 mm thickness. Set aside.

Emile Henry ceramic mortar and Gefu Spiralfix cutter

3. Wash the Spiralfix to process the apples and thus avoid staining it with the beetroot juice. For the apples we will use the "endless spirals" mode and once washed we will follow the same process as with the beetroots. Set aside.

Remember not to take too long finishing the salad since the apple oxidizes quickly; if you think you’ll take time you can spray it with a few drops of lemon.

4. Finally, in the Emile Henry fluted ceramic dish, we'll assemble the salad (the mold works great for this type of salad): at the bottom, arrange the tender leaves; in the center, the beetroot, which will add volume to the Set; around it, arrange the apple with a bit of flair; and finally, scatter the crumbled feta cheese and the chopped, toasted pecans.

5. We serve accompanied by the vinaigrette so each person can dress it to taste.


Have you ever tried beetroot raw? Whether you have or haven’t, I hope you try this delicious salad and that you’ll certainly get the most out of the Spiralfix; I already have several recipes in mind, from soups and woks to fry-ups. How important the presentation of our dishes is! It’s just a matter of a little imagination.

Loreto