Recipe: Beet and fennel salad

Beet and fennel salad

50 minutes. Serves 6 to 8

LEMON VINAIGRETTE

2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 to 2 lemons)

5 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together the shallots, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, agave syrup, salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. (You can also use a small food processor to make this dressing by putting all ingredients into the processor and blending until emulsifed.) This makes a generous cup of of salad dressing, which will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 3 days.

SALAD

5 to 6 beets

12 cups fresh salad greens or spinach, or as desired

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup walnuts

Lemon vinaigrette

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the walnuts in a shallow baking pan until fragrant and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

2. Place the unpeeled beets in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the beets can easily be pierced through with a fork, about 30 minutes. Set the beets aside until cool enough to handle, then peel and slice into one-fourth-inch thick rounds. Place the beets in a small bowl (separate bowls if using different colors to keep the colors from bleeding), and toss with vinaigrette to coat.

3. Place the greens on individual plates or on a large shallow serving bowl. Arrange the sliced beets on top of the salad greens. Sprinkle the fennel and red onion slices on top of the beets, then drizzle over the vinaigrette before serving.

EACH OF 8 SERVINGS

Calories 328

Protein 4 grams

Carbohydrates 18 grams

Fiber 5 grams

Fat 29 grams

Saturated fat 4 grams

Cholesterol 0

Sugar 5 grams

Sodium 229 mg