Beets and Feta are a wonderful culinary combination! Their flavors compliment each other so well. If I am remembering correctly, the first time I started to actually enjoy beets was when I tired a beet feta salad in an Atlanta restaurant… and ever since this is my go-to dish with beets. I am adding addition Beet nutrition incorporating Salus Red Beet Crystals… 3 ways in one salad!

Here is my unique take on the Beet Feta Salad…

Delicious earthy Beets diced into cubes on a bed of Arugula topped with Feta Cheese, Roasted Walnuts, and Pickled Fennel, lightly drizzled with a balsamic Red Beet Crystal vinaigrette.

First lets Pickle the Fennel…

This is a special pickled edition because I added Salus Red Beet Crystals to add even more additional nutrition, and add an aesthetic pink hue to the fennel.

You will need…

1 Large or 2 Small Fennel Bulbs

1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

2 TBLS Sugar

1/2 TSP Salt

1 TBLS Salus Red Beet Crystals

1. Cut off the top green part the Fennel bulb, then cut the Fennel in half. Take a mandolin tool or a peeler and shave the fennel into thin slices.

2. Add all ingredients in a bowl until the sugar and the Red Beet Crystals dissolve. Add the shaved fennel and the mixture into a glass jar. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

   *Any extra pickled fennel slices can be stored in the same container in the fridge for one week

Let’s Make the Salad…

Beets pair SO well with Feta Cheese. The creaminess of the feta helps subdue the dense, earthy texture of the beets! Can’t go wrong with this combo!

You will need…

8 oz. Beets

1/2 Cup Arugula

1/4 Cup Walnuts-

1/4 Cup Feta Cheese

Pickled Fennel (see above)

1. Place a bed of Arugula. You can use as much or as little arugula as you like. I used it more as a garnish to set make my salad on.

2. Drain Beets of any extra juice. Dice into cubes. For convenience I used ready-to-eat beets (steamed and peeled) from Trader Joe’s. Even better if you have fresh beets- but may take longer to prepare.

3. Add Pickled Fennel

4. Add Walnuts. I roasted the walnuts in the oven for 10 minutes for a nice toasty flavor.

5. Add Feta Cheese

Let’s make the Dressing…

The Dressing for this salad can be as basic as a Balsamic Glaze or a more complex flavorful vinaigrette. I created a Red Beet Crystal Vinaigrette. Adding Salus Red Beet Crystals to your dressing is another great way to add extra nutrition with minimal effort. They dissolve so quickly and will give a gorgeous matching color for your beet salad.

You will need…

Lemon- half or a quick squeeze of lemon

2 TSP Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 TSP Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper ( I prefer cracked peppercorn)

1 TBLS Salus Red Beet Crystals

1. Simply add all ingredients together until the Red Beet Crystals are dissolved.

2. Lightly Drizzle across the salad

3. To top it all off… I also sprinkled more Red Beet Crystals all the way across the salad.

For more recipes with Salus Organic Red Beet Crystals…. Click Here

For 20% off, please use this discount code….ORTIZ20

You can purchase the Salus Organic Red Beet Crystals at Floradix.com

I have really been enjoying them for smoothies, on veggies, in soups, and of course replacing food dye in baked goods. It is perfect for adding additional nutrition and sweetness!