Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Pistachio

Thanks so much for stopping by for another Brunch Week recipe! This week (May 5th-10th), we’re sharing great brunch recipes in preparation for Mother’s Day and the summer brunching season. Terri of Love and Confections and Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen have done a great job organizing everything and lined up some amazing sponsors for a completely awesome giveaway – you can read more about that here.

 I love it when I can “trick” Shawn into enjoying whole grains. He’s convinced that he doesn’t like them, but he really does! He was on board with this roasted beet salad at first, but got a little leery when I said I was thinking about adding some farro to help bulk it up and add more texture. But then he tasted a piece of cheese with a pistachio and noted that the combination of flavors was “pretty cool.” I could tell he was warming up to the idea when he served himself up a huge helping. He took one bite and said, “I like it!”

Which was good, because I liked it too. A lot.

You might expect something with these ingredients – beets, farro, blue cheese, nuts – to be earthy and funky, but the lemon and shallot dressing makes it surprisingly light and spring-like. It’s also really versatile: eat it as it on alongside an omelet for brunch, spoon it over some baby spinach to make an entree salad, or stuff it into a whole wheat pita for a heartier meal.

Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Pistachios

Yield: 6

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Ingredients

• 3 beets, greens discarded
• 1/4 cup farro
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 shallot, minced
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450ºF. Wrap the beets in foil and place on the middle rack. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool. Gently rub away the peels. Cut into a small dice and refrigerate until chilled. (This step can be done several days in advance.)
2. Combine the farro and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the farro and soft and the water is absorbed. Let cool.
3. Peel the lemon and remove the seeds. Add the lemon, shallot and olive oil to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Thin with 1 tablespoon water.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooled beets and cooked farro. Toss with the dressing, blue cheese crumbles, and pistachios.

Nutrition Information

Amount Per Serving Calories 140 Total Fat 8.7g Fiber 2.7g Protein 4.1g

Brunch Beverages:

Raspberry-Mango Batido from Foxes Love Lemons

Blackberry Mimosas from Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine

Brunch Egg Dishes:

Spinach Bell Pepper Frittata from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Corn Souffle from Hungry Couple

Croque Madame Muffins from Cooking in Stilettos

Fajita Vegetable Quesadillas with Eggs and Avocado Hollandaise from Sarcastic Cooking

Bacon, Cheddar, Zucchini Quiche from The Kitchen Prep

Brunch Breads and Grains:

Blueberry Cornmeal Waffles from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Busy Bee’s Granola from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Chocolate Dipped Banana Hazelnut Pancake Kebabs from Food Faith Fitness

Springtime Sweet Rolls from Eat Your Heart Out

10 Minute English Muffin Cream Cheese Danish from Neighborfood

Lemon Poppyseed Scones from Real Housemoms

Apple Croissants from Hip Foodie Mom

Vanilla Chai Quick Bread from Savvy Eats

Fig and Oatmeal Breakfast Bar from My Catholic Kitchen

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins from Jen’s Favorite Cookies

Brunch Fruits, Vegetables, Sides:

Roasted Beet Salad with Pistachios and Blue Cheese from Healthy. Delicious.

Caramelized Onion, Apple and Gruyere Bites from Take a Bite out of Boca

Savory Truffles from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Brunch Desserts:

Orange Marmalade Pound Cake from Love and Confections

Hazelnut-Blackberry Cottage Pudding from The Vintage Cook

Orange Surprise Inside Pound Cake from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Strawberry Hazelnut Crumble with Coconut Whipped Cream from The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Corn Fritter Shortcakes with Maple Whipped Cream from The Spiffy Cookie