This salad is an early harbinger of summer and all the warm days to come. It’s dressed in a pleasantly puckery citrus vinaigrette that’s full of mint and, though we say it ourselves, the perfect companion for earthy sweet beets. We’ve topped the beets with slices of blood orange, onions, roasted fennel, and chèvre — so every forkful of the salad is a delightful mix of sweet, tart, crunchy, and creamy.

Between the golden beets, the blood orange, and the bright green mint, this is a gorgeous salad, and ideally, it should be enjoyed on a sunny patio with the family. As light and refreshing as it is, the beets give it a certain hearty versatility. It would make a lovely side dish in a larger meal, or you could pair it with a protein — like a grilled salmon fillet — and give it the center of the plate.

Our tip: This salad’s superpower is that it doesn’t wilt, so it’s a great one for meal prepping or to take to dinner party.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 medium golden beets
1 bulb fennel, quartered and sliced ½-inch strips, fronds reserved
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
½ cup red onion, sliced thin
2 oz chèvre
1 Tbsp mint, chopped
Flake salt, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Rinse the beets in water, season with a pinch of flake salt, wrap them up tightly in tinfoil, and place them on a baking sheet.
3. Toss the fennel strips in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place them alongside the beets.
4. Roast the vegetables for one hour, or until the beets are fork tender and the fennel is golden brown in spots.
5. Allow the beets to cool, and then peel and slice them ¼-inch thick.
6. On a serving platter, layer the beets and oranges randomly and season them with a pinch of salt.
7. Sprinkle the sliced fennel and red onion over the beets and oranges.
8. Add the mint and crumbled chèvre, garnish with fennel fronds, and drizzle with blood orange vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

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Ingredients

1 shallot, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp blood orange juice
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp mint, chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shallot, lemon juice, blood orange juice, and champagne vinegar.
2. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking vigorously.
3. Add the mint, season with salt and pepper, and gently whisk to combine. Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.