{"id":6826,"date":"2017-04-12T08:27:31","date_gmt":"2017-04-12T15:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lifeandhealth.wordifysites.com\/?p=6826"},"modified":"2018-06-07T17:01:30","modified_gmt":"2018-06-08T00:01:30","slug":"vegan-ish-week-3-roasted-beet-and-carrot-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/food\/nutrition\/vegan-ish-week-3-roasted-beet-and-carrot-salad\/086826.html","title":{"rendered":"Vegan-ish, Week 3: Roasted Beet And Carrot Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was picking recipes for this series, I had no intention of choosing a salad. After all, creating a vegan salad isn\u2019t much of a feat. But when I stumbled across this recipe for a roasted beet and carrot salad, I knew I had to try it because it was a take on one of my favorite salads of all time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sweet satisfying bite of a roasted beet goes great with a savory component like goat cheese, smoked fish or hard-boiled eggs. My favorite version includes roasted red and golden beets, smoked trout, fingerling potatoes, capers and hard-boiled eggs.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does this vegan version hold up? Let\u2019s find out.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE COOK<\/b><\/h2>\n

Not much to report here. We\u2019re talking salad after all.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, it\u2019s not often you have to warm up the oven for a salad but, as implied by the name, roasting is required.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully, it\u2019s really just a simple toss of the beets and carrots in some olive oil and salt before shooting them into the oven. Pro tip: wear some disposable gloves or be ready to have some blood-red fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Roasted<\/a><\/p>\n

THE TASTE<\/b><\/h2>\n

I realized in the middle of eating that this was essentially a dressing-less salad. But that isn\u2019t to say that it was bland.<\/p>\n

If you think about it, all it really takes for a good dressing is olive oil, something acidic and seasoning. While the recipe doesn\u2019t call for any vinegar or citrus, the beets and carrots are naturally very sweet and since I roasted them in olive oil and salt — the other parts of a good dressing — it was plenty flavorful.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you were to eat just these roasted root vegetables, it could actually be cloyingly sweet. This is where a savory component, like fish or cheese, would come in handy. Playing that part for this dish: pecans.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toasted pecans actually did a great job of adding not only a salty nuttiness to an otherwise sweet dish, it also provided a nice contrast in texture with its satisfying crunch. I will admit, I still missed my smoked trout, but the dish was delicious nonetheless.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE VERDICT<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you don\u2019t have much experience with beets, it can actually be a bit intimidating to purchase them at the store; especially the ones with the gigantic stalk still attached. But beets are a great component of many dishes and a properly done beet salad is a thing of beauty, for the eyes and the tastebuds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, I was surprised by how flavorful the results were relative to how simple the recipe was. And if the pecans just don\u2019t cut it for you carnivores out there, try adding a boiled egg, a high quality smoked trout or even just some potatoes to \u201cbeef up\u201d the meal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, and public service announcement: eating beets can cause urine to turn red or pink. My brain let out a startled mental scream and I did some furious Googling leading up to that discovery. Happy eating!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Click to read Jason\u2019s other “Vegan-ish” articles:<\/p>\n