Roasted Beet, Fennel, and Orange Salad

Photo: Maria Lichty

Have you found yourself missing the bounty of fresh and sweet summer fruits and produce like strawberries, nectarines, and watermelon? Sometimes winter produce can seem a bit dull in contrast, but I have a lively salad recipe that will perk your taste buds right up!

What a better way to enjoy this time of year than to use seasonal ingredients. For this salad, I pair roasted beets with thinly shaved fennel, orange segments, and feta cheese. The end result is nothing short of incredible. It would be perfect as a healthy lunch (an easy way to keep a New Year's resolution!) or a tasty side salad to brighten up any meal.

I have always loved the earthy flavors beets can add to a dish. I started by first roasting the beets, which intensifies their flavor and softens their texture—making them a wonderful combination with the crunchy fennel. Any type of beet can be used, but I chose to use a combination of red and golden beets for both color contrast and flavor. The golden beets have a slightly milder flavor than other varieties.

I love beets, but I'm crazy about fennel. I'm especially crazy about a crisp fennel salad, no matter the variety. It is so versatile, whether roasted, grille,d or raw. It has a refreshing licorice or anise flavor and a nice crunch reminiscent of raw celery. The thinly sliced fennel alongside the soft roasted beets in this salad makes my palate sing! Then add orange segments and the salty tang of crumbled feta cheese and I'm a very happy girl.

This salad is sweet, salty, earthy, and fresh all combined into one beautiful creation. So give your winter menu a little dressing up with this easy, colorful, and delicious salad.

Photos: Maria Lichty

Roasted Beet, Fennel, and Orange Salad

• 1-8 oz bag of salad greens
• 2 small red beets
• 2 small golden beets
• 3 oranges
• 1 medium fennel bulb
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 1/3 cup reserved orange juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1/3 cup feta cheese

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash your beets and trim the top and bottom ends. Place each beet on a square of tin foil big enough to completely wrap it tightly. Drizzle each beet with a teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap each beet in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for about an hour, until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool completely. Once cooled, peel the skin from the beets and cut into wedges.

2) With a sharp knife, cut all of the skin and pith away from each orange. Cut in between each of the individual membranes, releasing each segment of orange. Once you have segmented each orange, squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane into a small bowl and reserve for later.

3) Cut the stalk away from your fennel bulb. Reserve a few tablespoons worth of roughly chopped fennel fronds and keep as garnish for the salad. Cut the bulb in half, remove the core, and slice the fennel very thinly.

4) Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the reserved orange juice and add salt to taste.

5) In your serving platter, layer the beets, oranges, and fennel over your mixed greens. Pour the orange juice and oil mixture over the salad. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and enjoy.