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Recently, when shopping at a farmers market here in Anchorage, I saw these Bulls Blood beet tops, and I knew I had to buy them. And while I didn’t know exactly what I was going to use them for, I did have some pretty specific dish requirements for my week’s meal plan. My family often needs portable lunches for flights: these meals have to be made ahead and served cold (I can’t reheat meals on planes). This is why I developed this Beet Top and Couscous salad.
Don’t Overlook Root Vegetable Tops
One of the reasons I love buying root vegetables at the farmers market is because they’re a two-for-one deal. There’s the root, which is obviously the part that everyone is familiar with, and then there’s the tops. Too often, the tops end up in a trash bin or composted when they are a perfectly tasty vegetable on their own.
Beet greens (or beet tops) are extremely nutritious, and I believe the only reason why so many of them end up in the trash is because most people don’t know how to use them. There aren’t many recipes that focus on these tops, and I’m on a mission to change that. I don’t like seeing wasted food, particularly because it means I’m wasting money. I don’t want to have an inflated food budget when I don’t have to.
If you’ve got a huge amount of beet tops, more than you need for this salad, I highly recommend my Farmers Market Celebration Bread. It’s another way to use up a large amount of stems and leaves and have a tasty breakfast or dessert bread.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Beet Greens/Tops
The deep red color of the beet greens totally inspired this Beet Top and Couscous salad. Bulls Blood beetroot is known for this characteristic, but you don’t have to use this particular variety. Any leftover beet greens will work in this recipe, but your couscous might not turn that beautiful pink color.
Feel free to substitute with any leafy green if you have that instead. Rainbow chard would be another great option with similar flavor, as chard and beets are in the same botanical family.
Red Russian Kale
Red Russian kale has delicate leafy greens and purple stems. Because the leaves are on the more delicate side for kale, they don’t need a lot of heat to wilt; gently stirring them into the warm couscous is all that’s needed.
Pearl Couscous
Also known as Israeli couscous, pearl couscous is actually a type of pasta. It was originally developed in Israel as a rice alternative, but has now become its own thing. Couscous provides the perfect base for this salad as it will soak up all the flavors of the dressing and it won’t compete with the shredded beet tops and kale.
You can substitute any small pasta shape for the pearl couscous. Orzo, ditalini, or stelline would all be great choices in this salad, as they are all teeny tiny shapes that will hold up well during the toasting process.
Tips and Tricks
The best way to bring out the flavor in couscous is to deeply toast it, similar to toasting bread. The couscous will turn a deep golden color as it toasts in the pan and develop nutty flavor and aroma. Toast the couscous more than you expect; deeper color means more flavor. Trust me, you’ll know if you take it too far.
Serving Suggestions
While I love eating this salad by itself, add a roasted chicken breast if you want to bump up the protein content. The salad already uses chicken stock to cook the couscous, so chicken is the perfect pairing. Feel free to slice it on top of the salad or cut it up into chunks and mix it in; this is another great way to use up leftovers.
What about the leftovers?
In a way, I developed this recipe to be great leftovers. I portion the salad out into individual mason jars, and that makes it easy for either me or my husband to take them for on-the-go meals.
Beet Top and Couscous Salad
My family often needs portable lunches for flights: these meals have to be made ahead and served cold. This is why I developed this Beet Top and Couscous salad.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 ½ cups pearl couscous
- 2 ¼ cups chicken stock
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (approximately 1 lemon)
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- 2 cups beet greens, finely shreddded
- 1 cup kale, finely shredded
- 2 tbsp mint, finely chopped
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan on medium low heat. Add couscous, and toast until a deep golden brown, stirring constantly.
- Once couscous has browned, add chicken stock and salt to the pan. Bring stock to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering until all stock is absorbed and the couscous is fully cooked.
- Once couscous is cooked, remove from heat and stir in all remaining ingredients. Set aside to cool and serve at room temperature.
