There are very few foods that I don’t like. Olives are firmly on that list and there’s no use trying to tell me all their good qualities — I just don’t like them.

For the longest time, beets were the other food that I just wouldn’t eat. Growing up, beets were always served at holidays along side pickled onions and olives. . . you can see how that wasn’t my favorite side dish.

And let’s face it, beets are a little bit scary looking.

Now that I’m older and wiser (or maybe just older), I realize that all the health benefits of beets required that I give them another chance. Did you know beets are a rich source of vitamin C and has powerful anti-inflammatory properties?

So I started to experiment. I’ve had a few flops (beet brownies sound WAY better than they actually are) and I’ve had some successes. Beets may not ever be my favorite food but they are growing on me, especially when paired with the amazing flavors of balsamic vinegar and goat cheese.

This simple salad is packed with some serious super foods. Loaded with steamed beats, walnuts, goat cheese, and topped with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, it’s the perfect side dish for a light summer meal.

Ingredients

•  Fresh Beets (cause canned beets just are not the same)
• Walnuts
• Goat Cheese
• Salad Greens
• Your favorite vinaigrette recipe

Preparation

Wash your beets well and cut off the stem. You don’t have to cut right up against the beet. It’s okay to leave a bit of the stem on. I’m told this actually prevents as much of the color from leaching into the water but I’m not so sure that’s true so you’ll want to make sure that you don’t splash the cooking water onto your clothes because it will stain.

Boil the beets for 20-30 minutes, bigger beets take longer. They are done when you can stick a fork in them. Once cooked, the skin of the beet will rub right off (kind of like a sweet potato does). Remove the skin then slice off the remaining stem if you left any on.

Slice the beets and set aside. Again, these will stain so make sure you don’t get any of the liquid on anything that doesn’t look good in pink.

Prepare your salad greens and top with walnuts, your sliced beets, and a sliver of goat cheese. Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette dressing. I like to make my own with equal parts balsamic dressing and olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.

This is such a simple combination but the flavors go together beautifully. Enjoy!