Good With: Pork dishes, light pasta, anything with cheese in it
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 30 min., plus up to 8 hours for marinating
Cost: About $1.50 per serving
Original Pirate Material

Ever since we stopped at Central Market in Shoreline, WA for a quick bite, we’ve been craving something beet-y. The salad we had was a sweet-but-bold mix of beets, herbs, and vinaigrette. We set out to duplicate it, many times over, and we think we did a pretty good job.

Ingredients

Makes 6 Servings

3-4 medium beets (see the Yaaaargh!)
1 red onion, sliced thinly
3-4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1-2 oz. good feta cheese
Salt & Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Sorry for the awful quality photo!

1. Wash the beets under cold water, removing any dirt that might be on the skin. As for the greens, trim ‘em if you got ‘em. Cut the beets in half and place into a steamer over about an inch of water. Let them steam for about 30 minutes, until they’re able to be easily pierced with a fork/knife/harpoon.

2. Let the beets cool for a while, until you’re able to hold them. Grab some paper towels (good quality ones! Otherwise you’ll get little white fluffs everywhere…) and, for lack of a better verb, lightly massage the beets. The skin should come off into the paper towel, as in the photo above.

3. Slice the beets into about 1/2″ slices. We also cut the beet in half before slicing to make half-moon shapes, which is better for the eating of the beets.

Prepare for extreme, red mess.

4. Combine the beets with the remaining ingredients in a [preferably] glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refridgerate for 2-6 hours. Really, as long as you want – the beets are flexible creatures.

5. Add crumbled feta to the top, and serve!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! Okay, so we admittedly jacked this concept from our favorite Seattle-area market… But it was so good, and now we’re far away…! It’s a good-natured theft, promise! Anyway, if you found some beets that have the greens still attached (preferable!), we strongly encourage you try the Garlic Beet Greens recipe! It’s a great way to use up the entire thing while getting some really good, delicious nutrients from the greens!

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