Spinach salad with roasted beets, pear and edamame

A super nutritious vegetarian meal!

Beets are not only delicious, they’re also very nutrient-rich, so I try to serve them often. This new salad – with edamame, pepitas and feta for protein – has quickly become a staple menu item in our house. To really speed up the preparation time, you can buy small packages of pre-cooked beets, available at many groceries stores with a good produce section. I don’t recommend using canned beets, however. Sliced apple would be a great substitute for the pear, and you could use toasted walnuts or pine nuts in place of the pepitas (green pumpkin seeds). For another great protein-packed spinach salad, check out this recipe.

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon very finely minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:

• 2 medium sized beets
• 3/4 cup (115 g) edamame (frozen or fresh)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 cups (120 g) packed baby spinach leaves, chopped if large
• 1/4 cup (30 g) pepitas
• 1/4 cup (30 g) feta cheese, crumbled

Method

• If using raw beets, roast them first. Trim the ends off the beets and place on a sheet of tin foil large enough to completely enclose them. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in a 400F oven until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife (45 – 60 minutes depending upon the size of the beets). Remove from foil and let cool slightly then slip skins off. Let cool completely. 
• While beets are roasting, shake the ingredients for the vinaigrette together in a jar with a tight lid. Set aside.
• Also while beets are roasting, cook the edamame for 4 minutes in boiling water. Drain well and set aside to cool.
• Once beets have cooled, halve them lengthwise then thinly slice them crosswise.
• To assemble salad, divide the spinach among two serving bowls. Top with beets, carrots and edamame then drizzle with the prepared vinaigrette. Sprinkle feta and pepitas over top and serve, passing any remaining vinaigrette at the table.

Makes 2 servings; recipe can easily be multiplied.