My New Favorite Salad

I was never a fan of beets growing up. I would diligently pick them out of my Greek salads and wrinkle my nose at the bright pink traces they left behind. However, the other day something inspired me to pluck some out of the produce section and revisit my feelings on the beet. I'm glad I did. This salad satisfied my craving for something crunchy and fresh without being heavy (not to mention the fact that it is packed with nutrients and promotes detoxification of the blood and better liver function). You can find the original Williams Sonoma recipe here - I pretty much followed it exactly. I left the beets raw rather than cooking them. I would also recommend putting the dill in right before serving for a colorful presentation, as the beets will dye it magenta.

Ingredients

Fresh beets (any variety will do)

Extra virgin olive oil

Red wine vinegar

About a cup of walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Fresh dill

One or two cloves of garlic, finely minced

Sea salt to taste

Peel and cube the beets. Combine with the toasted walnuts and set aside. To make the dressing, whisk together equal parts of olive oil and vinegar (lemon juice would also work nicely) along with the garlic. Toss the beets and walnuts to coat. Finally, chop about a handful of the dill and mix it in. Voila!

Although I didn't have any handy, I think some feta cheese would also pair excellently with this.