Beets and citrus are a match made in heaven and one of my favorite combinations to enjoy during the colder months of the year. This vibrantly colored roasted beet and orange quinoa salad makes a great side dish for dinner or a light vegetarian lunch. Plus, the pink color feels extra fun when the weather is cold and grey.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Roasting beets is, in my opinion, the best way to enjoy their unique earthy flavor. Tossed with an orange vinaigrette, even people who don’t think like beets will change their tune.
- It’s perfect for meal prep. That’s the beauty of winter veg and grains—they hold up well in the fridge so you can enjoy this salad for several days.
- This salad is incredibly nutrient-dense and is a great way to add variety to your diet. The beets and oranges are loaded with nutrients and quinoa is a great source of fiber and protein.
- Grain salads like this are also a great way to add more parsley to your diet, which is high in several health benefits you may not have realized. (More on that below.)
Making The Roasted Beet & Orange Salad
I’ll be up front with you now and say that this doesn’t qualify as a “quick” recipe. Beets can take up to an hour to roast, depending on their size. So this probably isn’t something you’ll want to whip up for a quick weeknight meal.
That being said, it is a pretty easy recipe that just requires some basic knife skills. Plus, it stores well in the fridge so you can have lunch handled for the week.
The Ingredients
To make the grain salad, you’ll need…
- Red beets
- Yellow quinoa
- An orange
- Parsley
- Pistachios
- Feta
Beets and citrus are a perfect winter pairing. And I love using parsley as the main green in gran salads because it packs more of a nutritional punch than many other greens (more on that below). Pistachios add crunch and feta adds creamy, salty goodness to round out the ingredients.
The vinaigrette is made by reserving the juice from the orange and combining it with a few other ingredients. To make the vinaigrette, you’ll need…
- Reserved juice from the orange
- White vinegar
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
A vinaigrette is necessary to complement the earthiness of the beets, in my opinion. And this one has just enough flavor without overpowering the grain salad.
The Method
Start by roasting the beets. Give the beets a rinse, then trim about ½ inch off the tops and root ends. Place a couple squares of aluminum foil on a small baking sheet and top with a square of parchment paper large enough to wrap the beets in.
Drizzle a bit of avocado oil on the parchment square. Place the beets, cut side down, together on the parchment and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Fold the parchment paper up and around the beets to enclose them. Repeat with the aluminum foil so that the beets are securely and completely wrapped in the foil.
Roast the beets in a 400° Fahrenheit oven for 40-45 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Unwrap and set aside to cool.
While the beets are cooking, start on the quinoa. Give the quinoa a thorough rinse and drain well. This helps remove some of the bitterness from the quinoa. Add the drained quinoa to a small pot of water with a scant cup of water. (Meaning you should fill the measuring cup just below the full line, leaving a small amount of space at the top.)
Bring the pot to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed.
Once the quinoa is cooked, remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
While quinoa and beets are cooking, prepare the rest of the salad. Supreme the orange (step-by-step instructions below) and chop the pistachios and parsley.
Once the beets are cool enough to handle, remove the peel by rubbing it off with a paper towel. It should peel easily. Then dice the beets into bite-sized pieces.
To make the vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, reserved orange juice, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small jar. Secure the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl, starting with just half of the vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and vinaigrette, as desired.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How To Supreme An Orange
Supreming citrus is a great way to enjoy just the delicious flesh of the fruit without having to deal with the membrane or bitter pith. Plus, the supremed segments are so pretty. You’ll need a sharp pairing knife and a steady hand but it’s not a difficult process once you get the hang of it.
Over a bowl to collect any juices, follow these steps:
- Cut the ends: Slice off both ends of the orange to create flat surfaces. This will make it easier to work with.
- Stand the orange upright: Place the orange on one of the flat ends you just created so it’s stable.
- Remove the peel: Using a sharp knife, carefully cut away the peel and white pith from the orange, following the curve of the fruit. Work your way around the orange until all the peel and pith are removed.
- Identify the membranes: Hold the peeled orange in one hand and locate the membranes that separate the segments. They will be thin, white lines running between the segments.
- Cut along the membranes: With the knife parallel to the membrane, gently cut on one side of it, releasing the segment from the orange. Repeat this process on the other side of the membrane to free the segment completely.
- Repeat for all segments: Continue this process for each segment until you have supremed the entire orange.
- Collect any juice: Squeeze the remaining membrane over a bowl to extract any remaining juice for use in your recipe.
Now you have beautifully segmented orange supremes that can be used in salads, desserts, or any dish where you want the pure, juicy flavor of the orange without any bitter elements.
Fun Facts About Parsley
The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.
Parsley is the green I most often use in my grain salads. It’s readily available all year round, which is nice. And it adds a fresh, subtle flavor to the dish. Plus, parsley comes with some impressive health benefits, too.
- It helps ease stagnant digestion that results in things like bloating, gas, or constipation. And eating a sprig of parsley before a meal can help stimulate the appetite.
- It stimulates kidney function, making it useful when increased urination is beneficial, such as with a UTI, kidney stones, cystitis, and edema.
- It’s incredibly nutrient-dense, rich in sodium, potassium, vitamin K1, folate, and antioxidants. It’s like a natural vitamin and mineral supplement.
Parsley often seems to get overlooked in the culinary herb department and relegated to little more than a garnish. But its subtle flavor makes it a great herb to add to just about any dish for both a pop of green and a boost in vitamins and minerals.
Recommended Products
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- Classic 4-inch Paring Knife
- 8-ounce Glass Jars With Airtight Lids
- 9×13-inch Non-Stick Precut Baking Parchment
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Roasted Beet & Orange Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 3 small to medium red beets
- ½ cup yellow quinoa
- 1 orange
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley about half a bunch
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
For The Vinaigrette
- Reserved juice from the orange
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. On a small baking sheet or pan, lay out a couple sheets of aluminum foil and top with a square of parchment paper large enough to wrap the beets in. A quarter-size sheet works well. Set aside.
- Trim off the tops and root ends of the beets. Wash off any dirt and pat the beet dry. Drizzle a bit of avocado oil on the parchment square. Place the beets, cut side down, together on the parchment and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Fold the parchment paper up and around the beets to enclose them. Repeat with the aluminum foil so that the beets are securely and completely wrapped in the foil. This will allow the beets to cook fully without drying out.
- Roast the beets in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Unwrap and set aside to cool.
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh colander and drain well. Place in a small pot with a scant cup of water over high heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed.
- Once the quinoa is cooked, remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
- To supreme the orange, slice off both ends of the orange to create flat surfaces. Place the orange on one of the flat ends and, using a sharp knife, carefully cut along the curve of the fruit to remove the peel and white pitch from the orange.
- Holding the peeled orange in one hand over a bowl to catch any juices, locate the membranes that separate the segments. They will be thin, white lines running between the segments. With the knife parallel to the membrane, gently cut on one side of it, releasing the segment from the orange. Repeat this process on the other side of the membrane to free the segment completely. Continue this process for each segment.*
- Set the orange segments aside. Squeeze the remaining membrane over a bowl to extract any remaining juice. Set aside. Cut each orange segment into two to three bite-sized pieces.
- Roughly chop the pistachios and parsley.
- Once the beets have cooled enough to handle, remove the peel by rubbing it off with a paper towel. Then dice the beets into bite-sized pieces.
- In a small jar, combine the olive oil, reserved orange juice, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Secure the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, beets, oranges, and parsley. Drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and vinaigrette, as desired.
- Top with pistachios and feta cheese and enjoy.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
