Bikini Body Salad

This dish is my attempt at recreating one of my favorite seasonal dishes from local restaurant Blue Plate (featured here). They took the Bikini Body Salad off their menu this fall and I’ve been craving it ever since. I usually find vegetarian entrée salads unfulfilling, but this has so many great ingredients, textures, and colors that I’d gladly eat in any night of the week. The sweet beets, crunchy snap peas, tangy goat cheese, and creamy avocado really work together to create a totally satisfying meal. My tip is to roast the beets the night before and then leave them in the fridge so that assembling the salad only takes a few minutes.

Bikini Body Salad:

• Slice the tops off 4-5 small red beets and wrap each one individually in foil.
• Roast the beets in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove and let cool in the foil.*
• Unwrap each beet and use your fingers to rub off the skin. Cut the beets into bite-size chunks.
• Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil and add in 1 c. snap peas (strings removed).
• Cook the peas for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp-tender, then drain and cover with cold water until room temperature.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, the juice of a lemon, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in 2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and set aside.
• Add the peas to a large salad bowl, along with 8 oz. wild arugula, 3 oz. crumbled goat cheese, 1 sliced avocado.
• Toss the salad with the dressing, then add the beets and toss a little more.**
• Divide onto plates and serve.

Serves two (entree)
Serves four - five (side dish)
*Can be done two days ahead and kept in the fridge.
**Wait to toss the beets until the last minute or the whole salad will turn pink.