Roasted Beet Salad with Apples, Figs, and Citrus Dressing

I love beets. Their North African roots appeal to me, of course, but this is a distinctly American dish. I always challenge kids to a taste contest—beets versus Skittles, which ones are sweeter? The answer is beets. We get our beets from Chef’s Garden in Ohio (chefs-garden.com— and they’ll deliver straight to your house now). They get all these crazy colored beets: candy striped, rainbow, yellow, orange, pink. Many home cooks will be tempted to boil the beets because it’s easier, but roasting gives them a deeper flavor. Reminder: Wear gloves and don’t do any prep on a porous surface unless you want your kitchen to look like the set of Dexter.Figs have two peak times of the year—summertime and fall. Sweet and tangy, this salad has everything you love in it.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Step 2

Trim the beets, leaving 1 inch of the stem, and coat lightly with the oil. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet in the oven. Roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Step 3

Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.

Step 4

While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and put them in a large mixing bowl. While still warm, toss them with half of the dressing, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasoning.

Step 5

Add the arugula and the remaining dressing and gently toss to combine. Plate the salad and top with the figs and apples.