Beet & Apple Salad

SOUND BITE

I love combining earthy, savory and sweet flavors in salads—and this vibrant beet, apple, cabbage, carrot, pomegranate and herb medley is a healthy, crunchy, texture-filled case in point! Plus, any salad that requires seven commas to describe it is worth making, don’t you think? For convenience, I use pre-cooked, vacuum-packed beets—peeled and ready to eat. Sweet!

Adding Beets to Salad: Raw or Cooked

Whether raw, roasted or pre-cooked and vacuum packed, beets bring color, flavor, texture and tons of widely researched nutritional benefits to any salad.

I’d need an hour-long podcast to talk about the health properties of beets, but right now I’m simply encouraging you to eat them.

Raw beets are crisp, slightly sweet and add an earthy bite. I like to grate raw beets using the medium holes on my cheese grater—it’s quick, easy and gives you fine shreds that blend well into any salad. I throw these on leafy green salads all the time.

Roasted beets? Even tastier, but they take some time to prepare. The heat caramelizes their natural sugars, making them softer, sweeter and richer in flavor. Perfect with apples, nuts and a tangy dressing.

If you like shortcuts (I know I do!), then pre-cooked, vacuum-packed beets are a convenient option. They’re peeled and ready to go—just slice or dice them and toss them into your salad.

When your salad seems boring or plain greens have you snoring, think of Michael Jackson and just BEET it!