Warm Golden Beet Salad with Beet Green Pesto

I love beets, like really LOVE them.

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I also have an unexplainable fear of cooking them. (I also have a strange fear of artichokes, but that is another post entirely…) Maybe it is the chance that they will bleed their red dye all over my counter tops, hands, outfit… you get the picture. Maybe, I’m just scared of the unknown. Either way, I took another step toward conquering my “beet fear” once and for all with the creation of this dish.

Organic beets were on sale at my local grocery store this week. What better time to experiment?! I slung two bunches into my basket and strutted determinedly to the register. Once I got home, however, I wasn’t feeling quite so stoic. What in heavens name was I going to make? I settled on an easy, steamed beet. Wanting to incorporate the beet greens into my recipe (waste not, want not), I used them to make a garlic-y pesto & a warm salad.

For the sauce, I soft boiled an egg, which, once broken, lent a rich, creamy texture & flavor to the dish that beautifully tied in all of the sweet and savory notes of the other components.

Warm Golden Beet Salad with Beet Green Pesto

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Ingredients:

• 2 small Golden Beets
• 2-3 Tblsp Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 tsp Coconut Oil
• 3 Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 Yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cups Beet Greens, chopped
• 2 Tblsp dry White Wine
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1 large, Organic Egg

Pesto Ingredients:

• 1 clove Garlic
• 1/2 cup Beet Greens
• 3 Tblsp fresh Basil
• 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tblsp Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1/4 tsp Lemon Juice
• Low-Sodium Vegetable Stock
• Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub beets and place in a foil lined square baking dish. Top with 2-3 Tblsp Vegetable broth and tightly cover with another piece of foil. Place in preheated oven and cook until fork tender, about 1 hour.
2. Heat coconut oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
3. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until they begin to sweat. Add onions, and saute until translucent.
4. Toss in the chopped beet greens, and cook until wilted., deglazing the pan with the white wine, if needed.
5. Meanwhile, make a soft boiled egg. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the egg and boil for five minutes. Remove promptly and allow to cool slightly before gently removing the shell.
6. Pesto: Place garlic, greens, basil, oil, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse to combine. Slowly drizzle in vegetable stock until desired smoothness and consistency is reached. Taste, and adjust seasoning.
7. To serve, place sauteed beet greens and mushrooms in a bowl. Top with sliced golden beets, soft boiled egg, and a drizzle of beet green pesto.