ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH CUMIN AND CILANTRO

Roasted Beet Salad with Cumin and Cilantro image

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

9 medium beets in your choice of colors
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Scrub the beets, and, keeping them whole with an inch or so of the bottoms still attached, place on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the oil, and roast for an hour, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Cool, peel, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
To make the vinaigrette, purée two-thirds of the cooked beets with the lemon and orange juice, the balsamic vinegar, the garlic, the cumin, the sweet paprika, the salt, the pepper, and the remaining olive oil. This can be done a day in advance.
Just before serving, toss the rest of the beets with the vinaigrette. Adjust the seasonings and garnish with the cilantro or parsley. Serve alone or as one of several colorful salads, such as the red salade juive (see page 92) and the orange Tunisian carrot salad (see page 112).