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The most important part of developing flavor is balance. When you think about the tastiest dishes, they’ve all got balance in some way. A rich, hearty lasagna, for example, is topped with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, cutting through all the richness. A sweet dessert is balanced by the acidity in a fruit sauce. This Whole30 Beet, Orange, and Avocado salad is no different. All the flavors are perfectly balanced to ensure that your tastebuds will be happy with every bite.
Yes, you can have Avocados in the Winter Months
We often think of avocados as a summer ingredient. And this is largely true for the most popular avocado variety in the United States, the Hass avocado. But there are so many different avocados out there, and their seasonality changes with each different type.
This winter, look for Mexicola Avocados. This variety is cold-hardy, and can grow in a much wider range of climates than the Hass avocado. These avocados look larger from the outside, but they have a tendency for a larger pit to match their outward appearance. The skin is thin and easy to peel.
Look beyond the Hass so that you can enjoy avocados all year long!
Farmers Market Ingredients
Beets
Roasted beets are earthy and sweet, a perfect addition to any winter salad. While I used your standard red garden beets in this salad, any variety you find at the farmers market will work. This salad would be particularly beautiful with rainbow beets.
Did your beets come with their tops still attached? Use them to make my Beet Green Borscht soup. Or, if you love to bake, try my Farmers Market Celebration Bread.
Navel Oranges
Navel oranges can be best categorized as the sweet and sour element in this salad. The oranges provide the balance for the sweetness of the beets, enhance the umami of the avocados, and counteract the bitterness of the mixed greens. You’ll use the oranges two different ways for this salad. The orange supremes add a pop of sweetness, and the leftover juice is the basis of the salad dressing.
If you want a super seasonal swap for the navel oranges, look for some blood oranges. They’re only available until early spring, depending on variety, of course.
Avocados
Avocados provide the main umami element in the salad. They’re creamy and rich, and balance out the acidity of the oranges and the bitterness of the salad greens.
Mixed Greens (Baby Kale, Baby Chard, Spinach, Mizuna, and more)
The mixed greens aren’t just a healthy salad base; they’re actually important for balancing flavor too. Mixed salad greens are typically considered to be in the bitter flavor category. This makes them sound unappetizing, but bitterness actually serves an important purpose in balancing flavors. Bitterness is the counterpoint for both sweetness and umami/richness. It helps create a feeling of lightness to a dish.
That all being said, there is a scale of bitterness. Not all leafy greens are equally bitter. Radicchio, for example, can be extraordinarily bitter and would be overwhelming in this salad. Spinach is far less bitter, and is often considered to be a sweet green. This salad is best with greens that are on the sweeter side of the leafy green spectrum. Think spinach, kale, chard, and mizuna. Avoid the chicories, such as endive and radicchio, which will be too bitter and overwhelm the balance of the dish.
Tips and Tricks
This salad recipe calls for already cooked beets; this gives you the flexibility to cook them in whatever method you wish. Also, depending on your meal prep schedule, you can cook the beets well ahead of time, which will make salad assembly a breeze. Or, if you happen to have leftover roasted beets from a meal earlier this week, this salad is an excellent leftover makeover.
Instant Pot Method
You don’t have to wait a long time to cook the beets for this salad. Instead, I recommend using your Instant Pot to really speed up the process. The pressure cooking process will have those beets tender in 18-20 minutes of high pressure cook time. Be sure to add a cup of water or so into the Instant Pot with the beets; the water is what generates the pressure, and will ensure things don’t burn while the Instant Pot is running. Let the beets cool before sliding the skins off.
Oven Method
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can roast the beets in your oven. This method is simple, but it will take around 40 minutes for the beets to fully soften. Preheat the oven to 400degF. Then after lightly scrubbing the beet roots, wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Place the individual beet packages in the oven and roast until soft. The peels can be easily removed once the beets have cooled slightly.
Serving Suggestions
My Beet, Orange, and Avocado Salad is the perfect side for any roasted meat. Think of things like a roasted (or grilled!) bone-in pork chop, or a whole roast chicken for the table. Composed salads, like this one, are perfect for family style meals.
What about the leftovers?
Unfortunately, this is not a make-ahead salad as a whole. You will want to assemble the salad just before you plan to serve it; this way, the salad greens won’t wilt and lose their texture.
You can, however, make certain parts of the salad ahead of time to make the day of assembly a breeze. The beets can be roasted and sliced ahead of time, and the oranges can be cut and juiced a few days ahead as well. Store the components in the refrigerator separately for maximum shelf life.
Whole30 Beet, Orange, and Avocado Salad
This Whole30 Beet, Orange, and Avocado salad is no different. All the flavors are perfectly balanced to ensure that your tastebuds will be happy with every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 navel oranges
- 4 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp stone ground mustard
- ¼ cup jalapeno olive oil
- 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 cups baby salad greens
- 3 red beets, roasted and peeled
- 2 avocados
Instructions
- Cut the navel oranges into supremes, and set supremes aside in a small prep bowl. Squeeze the remaining orange juice into another small prep bowl.
- Add the red wine vinegar, garlic, and mustard to the orange juice, and whisk together until combined. Slowly stream in the jalapeno olive oil while whisking vigorously to create an emulsified salad dressing. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Lay out the salad greens on a serving platter or on individual dishes. Layer half of the orange vinaigrette with the salad greens when plating.
- Slice the peeled, roasted beets and lay them on top of the bed of salad greens.
- Lay the orange supremes on top of the bed of salad greens. If plating individual plates, intersperse the supremes with the roasted beet slices.
- Cut open and slice the avocados. Lay out the slices on top of the salad greens amongst the beets and orange supremes. Top with the remaining salad dressing.
