red or green?: Sweet & Spicy Roasted Beet and Bacon Salad (with warm bacon vinaigrette)

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Beet and Bacon Salad (with warm bacon vinaigrette)

today's bunch of beets included different sizes from HUGE to tiny!

Roasted Beets. Bacon. Need I say more? I made a salad last week with roasted beets, figs and oranges. It was delicious but I found I kept craving beets. They are so beautiful and plentiful at the farmers' markets right now. I keep buying bunches each week and then roast, grate raw, blend into soup...you name it, I have tried it.

Today I decided to make another salad. This time a main dish version with roasted beets topping arugula and then tossed with a warm bacon vinaigrette. I added both honey and red pepper flakes to the mix giving this dressing an unusual combination of sweet and hot. An instant hit in my house. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Beet and Bacon Salad
(with warm bacon vinaigrette)

(4 servings)
4-6 medium beets
4 handfuls baby arugula, washed and dried
1 tbsp fresh italian parsley, chopped

Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
3 slices of bacon
2 tbsp red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey mustard
1 tsp honey
pinch dried red pepper flakes

sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Roast beets according to the directions in the post Roasted Fig, Beet & Orange Salad with Maple Syrup and Jalapeno Vinaigrette. When cooked and cooled, peel and cut into bit sized pieces. Place in serving bowl and toss with parsley, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of pepper.

Make vinaigrette:
Fry bacon in skillet until very crisp. Remove from pan, reserving drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add onion to pan and sauté until translucent. Reduce heat to simmer. Whisk in oil, vinegar and mustard. Add small pinch each of red pepper flakes and black pepper and whisk again.

Top beets with 2 tbsp vinaigrette and the crumbled bacon. Toss. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Place one handful arugula on 4 salad plates. Mound beets on top of greens. Drizzle additional vinaigrette over salad if desired. Serve