Cooking/ Recipes/ Salads/ Side Dishes

Winter Salad with Radicchio, Pomegranate & Beets

Thanksgiving week. No one wants to talk about salad. And that’s 100 percent fine. Because after all the butter, carbs and sugar, you’ll be wanting something clean. So when you’re back on track, it’ll be time for redemption. In this case, it’s red redemption — radicchio, pomegranate, beets and honeycrisps with a sprinkling of toasted walnuts and parsley. Roast your beets a day before, or just buy the pre-cooked ones, and this winter salad comes together in no time.

I should already be prepping for Thanksgiving, but the Chex Mix and cranberry sauce remain unmade. There’s no room in the fridge for the turkey that’s due to be picked up tomorrow. No brining will be happening here. I’ll stuff it just like my grandma did and throw it in the oven. The stress is minimal. As it should be.

Give thanks, eat ridiculously, go shopping (just not on Thanksgiving, please!), and enjoy the time off.

Print Recipe

Red Redemption Salad

Serves: 2-3

Cooking Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Salad
1 medium head (about half a pound) radicchio, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 medium honeycrisp apple, cored and cut into matchsticks
1/2 c. pomegranate arils
2 small beets, roasted, peeled and diced (or use pre-cooked beets)
~1/4 c. roasted walnut pieces
~2 T. Italian parsley, chopped
Dressing
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
2 t. walnut oil
1 T. honey
pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

To roast the beets, preheat oven to 400F. Trim the greens, rinse the beets and pat dry. Wrap the beets in parchment and then in foil and roast on a baking sheet for one hour or until a knife slides easily into the beets. Let them cool completely. This is best done a day or two ahead, or just use pre-cooked beets. Wearing gloves, peel and dice the beets.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, walnut oil, honey, salt and pepper. Or use a small jar and shake it up.

In a medium bowl, combine the radicchio, apple, pomegranate arils and half the parsley. Toss with half the dressing. Arrange the radicchio-apple mixture on a serving plate. Top with walnuts and add the beets. You don't want to toss them with the radicchio and apple as they'll stain the apple. Pour over a little more dressing to taste and add the remaining parsley to garnish.