Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Maple Pecan Salad

Last week, as I was walking through Williams-Sonoma looking for some new supplies, a woman walks up to me, and starts talking about a wonderful dinner she had recently. She described this roasted beet salad and it sounded so good that I went directly to the market, picked up the items needed, and created this dish. The sweet-salty contrast of the roasted beets, the tang of the goat cheese and crunch of the pecans is a delicious combination and the colors are absolutely beautiful.

Beets are a great vegetable to add to your diet if you haven't already. They are wonderful for detoxing your liver, high in folic acid, manganese, potassium, and fiber. Roasting beets brings their sweetness to a whole new level, especially when roasted in coconut oil. Be careful not to eat to many of the sweet pecans before you serve this salad...I had to stop myself from eating all of them so I would have enough for the picture!

Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese and Sweet Pecan Salad

Serves 4

The beets and pecans can be prepared earlier in the day and left at room temperature until you are ready to assemble the salad.

2 beets, green cuts off, and skins trimmed

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled

3 cups mixed greens

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice the beets (about 1/4-inch thick slices) and toss with coconut oil and season with sea salt. Place on baking sheet in single layer, roast for 15 minutes, Remove pan from oven and turn beets over using a spatula. Return beets to oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

After beets are out of the oven, lower temperature to 250 degrees. Toss pecans with the maple syrup and spread out on a cooking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and then bake another 15 minutes until pecans are dried and crispy. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. In a large bowl toss mixed greens with 3/4 of the salad dressing. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and add more dressing if needed. To assemble, divide salad greens on four plates. Divide the beets evenly and place on top of greens. Sprinkle with maple pecans and goat cheese. Serve immediately.