Vegan Roasted Beets & Leeks Salad Recipe
If you think you don’t like beets, this roasted beets and leeks salad with tricolor quinoa might just change your mind. It did for me. If you already like beets, this salad may become a favorite whole food, plant based recipe.
Have you ever read the children’s book, Green Eggs and Ham?
If you have, then you may remember the premise of the book was to try things you think you don’t like. When you do, you may end up liking them.
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Here is a line from the book…
“I do not like green eggs and ham…” You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say… I like green eggs and ham! I do! I like them.
This is what I have been saying all my life – changing the words “green eggs and ham” to “beets” “I do not like beets“. I didn’t even want to try them – EVER!
This changed for me this past week after seeing how colorful and appealing they looked piled high in bunches at a farmer’s market I went to.
I asked the best way to make them and was told to roast them. So I roasted the beets with leeks and adding them to a quinoa salad.
Do you know what happened?
“Say! I like beets and leeks! I do!” I like them, oh, yes I do! :-)
I even made this salad a second time this past week! Which shows just how much I liked this Roasted Beets and Leeks Salad recipe. :-)
Moral to my story… Do not hesitate to try something new or different, something out of your ordinary or comfort zone. When you do, you just may end up surprising yourself in the best possible way.
Try It… Try It…
Trying new things does not just pertain to food. I receive comments from readers on a weekly basis telling me they are afraid to paint a piece of furniture or to start a DIY project.
My response always is… you won’t know until you try. Start with something small. If it is painting a piece of furniture. Practice the paint technique on a scrap piece of wood first.
Once you see that it is not that hard, you gain confidence and will try again and begin to enjoy it. You may even master it.
Try It… Try It… You May Actually Like This Roasted Beet Salad!
So don’t be afraid… try it… try it… you may actually like it or become good at something you previously dismissed as something “not for you”.
I am sure glad I stopped thinking I didn’t like beets and actually tried this recipe. It is a winner in every way for me.
Roasted Beets & Leeks Salad Recipe
This beets and leeks salad also has tricolor quinoa mixed in which gives it a flavorful texture. When served warm… YUM!!!
Roasted Beets & Leeks Salad
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lb. beets red or yellow – trimmed, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 sprigs thyme fresh
- 2 leeks trimmed and sliced
- 1-1/2 cups quinoa tricolor, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups salad greens any mix
Cashew Caesar Dressing
- 2/3 cup cashews raw
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 – 2 tsp capers drained
Instructions
- Make Cashew Dressing: Soak the raw cashews in enough hot water to cover for 30 minutes; drain, reserving the water.
- In a blender, combine cashews, 1/2 cup of reserved water, nutritional yeast, mustard, garlic. lemon zest and capers. Cover and blend until smooth. If needed, thin to desired consistency with remaining reserved water. Set aside.
To Roast Beets:
- Preheat over to 425°F. Place sliced beets in a single layer on a foil-lined shallow baking pan. If using both red and yellow beats, separate them in the pan.
- Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the vinegar; toss well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add thyme sprigs. Cover with foil and roast for 25 minutes.
To Roast Leeks:
- Place sliced and cut-up leeks in another shallow baking pan. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the leeks to the oven. Roast 6- 8 minutes or until beets and leeks are tender. The leeks will be done sooner. Discard thyme.
Make Quinoa:
- While beets are roasting, in a medium saucepan combine tricolor quinoa and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
To Serve:
- Serve when beets and leeks are still warm from the oven. In one large shallow bowl, arrange salad greens, beets, leeks and quinoa. Drizzle dressing over each serving.
- Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
Nutrition
