Baby Beet Greens Salad

Baby Beet Greens Salad with Romaine and Fresh Garden Veggies. Crisp, crunchy, clean baby beet greens salad with garden-fresh veggies.

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*From our Garden to Table series of recipes. See our full listing here.

Beets are best known for their roots (the actual bright red ‘beet’ we’re familiar with), but the greens are delicious and nutritious too and often go overlooked and underappreciated. The leafy greens of the beet have a mild and delicate “beet’ flavor which is often quite sweet if harvested at the right time. While there are MANY skeptics out there when it comes to beet greens this simple salad (packed with nutrients) can get you started on the road of feeling comfortable eating beet greens and also serving them to family and friends. Today, I’m harvesting the baby beet greens that are going crazy in my garden for this simple, delicious salad. (see video below)

By way of introduction, here’s my own Baby Beet Green Salad with Romaine and Fresh Garden Veggies. This simple salad comes together quickly and it doesn’t skimp on the flavor and texture of the greens and veggies coming from my garden. I add radishes for some spice, roasted almonds for a nutty flavor, baby romaine for crunch, and sweet cherry tomatoes – all directly from the garden. To bring the flavors and textures all together I make a simple vinaigrette and toss it directly in a bowl (courtesy of Martha Stewart). This dressing lights up our greens and lettuce and brings a zing to our veggies. It pairs perfectly with about any entree but is a natural for pasta, burgers, and brunch.

How to Prepare a Baby Beet Green Salad

Fresh, tender, crispy greens are a must for any great salad. When making this baby beet green salad gathering sweet greens directly from the garden and using them right away is a must. I add baby romaine for an added crunch because beet greens have a tendency to be soft and mild. When making the salad look for leaves that are bouncy, and crispy – without any discoloration. Use whatever looks best!

When it’s time to make you salad, pull (don’t cut) the leaves apart and wash and dry them. Using. a salad spinner will ensure you don’t bruise the leaves. A salad spinner is super simple to use and you’ll have dry, crisp greens in no time. Additionally, you can store your greens in paper towels and recyclable containers. They will last a couple of days so don’t leave them in the fridge too long!

If you don’t have a salad spinner, spread the washed lettuce on a kitchen towel to dry. Then move on to preparing the other salad components.

Ingredients and Variations

After I prepare the greens, I finish this recipe with thinly sliced cucumbers, spicy radish, mild leeks, and savory roasted nuts. My vinaigrette brings it all together.

- Add something sweet. I love to add a sweet, citrus fruit like clementines. A fresh, crisp sliced apple always works or a sprinkle of dried cranberries or cherries would be great here.
- Or extra crunch. Toss in homemade croutons or crispy roasted chickpeas.
- Try nut-free. Replace the almonds with more pepitas, or use a mix of pepitas and sunflower seeds.
- Try another dressing. This salad shines with ANY type of dressing your chose. If there’s a dressing you love, you can use it on this salad.
- Add lots of extra veggies, like crisp radishes, juicy cherries tomatoes, or julienned. In the spring, asparagus, and early snow peas would be a great choice too.

This is a classic combination – the cucumbers are crisp and refreshing, the fresh, cherry tomatoes are juicy and sweet, the snow peas are crunchy and fun, and the toasted almonds add a wonderful crunch. This recipe is versatile. Experiment with different combinations or another salad dressing. Here are a few ways I like to change it up:

Green Salad Serving Suggestions

Because you’re working with tender lettuces and beet greens, which have a tendency to wilt, this salad is best if you assemble it right before you eat. If you want to get ahead, you can wash and dry the lettuce a day in advance and store it, well-wrapped, in the fridge. You can also roast the nuts ahead of time and store them. The dressing is make ahead-friendly, too! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Serve this green salad as a side dish with almost any meal – a weeknight dinner, a special occasion dinner, a festive brunch, or a summer cookout. It pairs well with just about anything. I love to make it for dinner when I’m serving pasta, pizza, or cookout fare like veggie burgers, black beans burgers, or BBQ jackfruit sandwiches.

Round out the meal with a fresh-made, crusty loaf of buttermilk bread. Toasted this is truly satisfying and our homemade vegan cultured butter is a must-use.