This colourful salad is both delicious and nutritious

Recipe provided by the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts

ORANGE AND FENNEL VINAIGRETTE

  • 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp fennel seed, ground
  • 2 tbsp shallot, minced
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine salt and vinegar until the salt is fully dissolved.
  2. Add pepper and ground fennel and mix.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredient. Mix fully and adjust seasoning.
  4. Shake well before using. 

BEET SALAD

  • 1 cup orange and fennel vinaigrette
  • 2 pounds of beets (we used a combination of red and yellow beets)
  • 1 medium orange, peeled and segments (we used Cara Cara oranges)
  • Half a fennel bulb
  • Assorted salad greens (we like frisée but you can use whatever greens you have)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Cook yellow and red beets in separate pots to maintain their colour. Put unpeeled beets into cold salted water and bring up to a simmer. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until fork tender. 
  2. Drain and fill pots with cold water to cool beets down. Once beets are cool to the touch, slip off the skin of the beets using the water to wash off the extra skins. Cut beets into wedges and set aside.
  3. With a sharp knife or mandolin, slice fennel thinly. Soak in ice cold water to make the fennel curl.
  4. Remove peel and slice orange into segments.

TO ASSEMBLE

  1. In a bowl, toss beets in vinaigrette.
  2. Put one-third of the beets onto a serving plate and add the rest of the ingredients to the vinaigrette.
  3. Be sure to add more vinaigrette to coat the fennel slices and orange segments.
  4. Layer salad over existing beets.
  5. Try to finish with a few pieces of everything on top of the salad to bring colour and texture to the plate.

Serves 4