Crisp. Salty. Crunchy. Sweet. This Endive Salad with Beets and an Apple Cider Dressing has all the components of an amazing dish.
This endive salad is incredibly easy to make. You can whip it up in no time at all, yet it’s still impressive. Plus, you’ll want to make vats of the apple cider dressing to use in other salads.
I love using endives in salads because they hold up longer than most other salad greens. Especially in warmer weather. They’re super crunchy, and bitter in the yummy way. The beets and candied walnuts provide hints of sweet to contrast the bitter in a way that makes everything work together. The Apple Cider Dressing goes perfectly in this endive salad, too, adding the perfect amount of creaminess.
I prefer to roast my own beets. In my opinion, they’re much better and I really can taste the difference. Buy them fresh from the grocery store or farmer’s market, wrap them in tinfoil, pop ’em in the oven, set and forget. Then wipe off the skins with a paper towel once cooled. But you can also buy pre-cooked beets to make the salad even more simple to prepare. Up to you!
Ingredient Notes:
- Mini Beets – I decided to use mini beets because they were so beautiful at the farmer’s market, and I had them in my fridge. However you can definitely use regular-sized beets. Whatever you can find! You can also cheat and buy the pre-cooked beets if you want.
- Turkey Bacon – Feel free to sub regular bacon here as well, if that’s what you prefer.
- Candied Walnuts – To make this salad easier, I used store bought. if you can’t find them at the store, you can find them here.
- Walnut Oil – I think walnut oil adds depth of flavor to the dressing, but you can use extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil instead. If you’d like to use walnut oil, you might be able to find it at your local grocer, or you can find it here.
Endive Salad with Beets and an Apple Cider Dressing
Equipment
- Tinfoil
- Paper Towels
- 1 Medium Bowl
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 4 oz. mini beets can also use regular sized beets, ends trimmed
- 5 white endives trimmed and leaves separated
- 4 slices turkey bacon cooked to package directions, then chopped
- 1 Bartlett pear thinly sliced
- 1 ½ oz. Goat Cheese crumbled
- ½ cup Candied Walnuts roughly chopped
- Apple Cider Dressing recipe below
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Apple Cider Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
- 7 tablespoons walnut oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place the beets in the center of a piece of tinfoil and cinch tightly into a pouch. Transfer to a sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender (for larger beets, cook longer, 45-60 minutes. They’re done when a fork can easily slide into the center of the beets). Remove from oven and let cool completely in foil pouch.
- When cooled completely, take a paper towel and rub off the skins of the beets. Cut into quarters (cut larger beets into ½” cubes).
- In a large bowl, combine endive leaves, chopped turkey bacon, pear slices, goat cheese, candied walnuts, apple cider dressing, and a pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle beets and freshly ground black pepper on top. Serve.
For the Apple Cider Dressing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the shallots, garlic, whole grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey and Greek yogurt. While whisking, slowly drizzle in walnut oil until emulsified. Season with Kosher salt (I used a good amount) and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.
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