Beet Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese

Posted online December 27, 2010 | 3:10 pm

This classic Italian-style salad is light and refreshing, and makes a delightful summertime side dish. Its tasteful blend of healthy ingredients makes it a popular favorite even with people who don’t think they like beets.

Why try? Using a ring mold gives this dish a real restaurant look. The vinaigrette makes it very easy to remove from the mold.

Foodie Byte: This dish is best-served very cold.

Ingredients

4 medium beets, scrubbed and trimmed
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
1 10 ounce package mixed salad greens
½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preparation

Place beets in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool, peel then cut into cubes.
While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and just starting to toast. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
Combine beets, walnuts, gorgonzola and dressing a large bowl.
Pack the beet mixture into biscuit rings and refrigerate.
Place helping of greens onto each salad plate and top with ring mold of beet mixture and lift.

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