Roasted Beet & Chickpea Salad

There is this moody farmer at my farmer's market who grows the best of everything.

He has so many gorgeous varieties of tomatoes and 5 different kinds of beets. He takes such pride in what he grows and I don't mind paying the extra dollar for his prized produce, I only wish he would smile more. It seems like all this growing and harvesting is making him miserable.



This weekend he had Ace Beets and Burpee's Golden. I couldn't wait to get these babies home. I love my beets.

Growing up I thought beets were disgusting, along with cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and lima beans. I think we all felt this way. Why did my mother BOIL every vegetable to death? We choked on them before we could swallow them.

Now I know better. Beets are like sugar, you can bake cakes with them, roast them for salads, serve them with cheese or eat them like candy.

If you still don't "like" beets, then come over to my house, I will help convert you.

This is an easy salad and was delicious at room temperature or cold from the fridge.

The fresh mint goes really nicely with the earthy flavor of the sweet beets.

It makes for an easy lunch for 3 days in a row! I took this salad to the beach last week and it was perfect.

Chickpea Salad w/ Roasted Beets:

6 beets, red & yellow, stems and greens cut off
2 shallots, minced
2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed & drained
big handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
big handful of green onions or chives, chopped
juice of a lemon
3 tbsp of white balsamic or red wine vinegar
6 tbsp of olive oil
sea salt & pepper
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

To roast beets:
Scrub the beets to remove dirt and remove the greens. Place in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt. Cover the beets with foil and place in a 400F oven and roast for 1 hour.



Let beets cool with the foil still on for at least an hour until cool enough to handle.
The skins will slip right off and they are ready for cutting or slicing. You can make these the day before and keep them in the fridge.

Slice or cube the beets into any shape you like and mix them in a large bowl w/ the drained chickpeas.

Add the fresh herbs and dressing. Season w/ salt & pepper and taste and adjust seasonings.



Add the feta cheese just before serving and serve on a bed of baby arugula.

Don't worry, if you are using red beets, the chickpeas will turn pink!

Enjoy!

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