Beet, Mandarin Orange and Spinach Salad

Submitted by TasteTester

"People seem to either hate or love beets -- I would guess you like them because you have chosen this recipe to look at. (The first recipe calls for canned beets; sometimes I buy fresh beets and cook them -- this variation is after the canned beet recipe.) When using the fresh beet recipe, I make the beets ahead of time to allow for cooling in the fridge and then just cut them up when assembling the salad."

 

• Ready In: 5mins
• Ingredients: 5
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• CANNED BEET RECIPE

• 6 ounces fresh spinach leaves
• 1 (15 ounce) can of cut beets (well drained)
• 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, well drained (in light syrup)
• 1⁄4 cup bottled poppy seed dressing (if you don't like poppy seed dressing you can use a basic vinaigrette dressing)

• FRESH BEET RECIPE

• 3 fresh beets (used in place of the canned beets)

directions

1. CANNED BEET RECIPE:

2. Place spinach in a salad bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients; toss and serve.
4. 5 minutes prep time; no cooking time.

5. FRESH BEET RECIPE:

6. Preheat oven to 450°F Remove beet greens from 3 fresh beets; rinse beets and wrap tightly in foil. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Unwrap foil and remove skin by rubbing firmly with paper towels. Refrigerate beets until cool; cut into pieces and add to salad.
7. 5 minutes prep time; 1 hour cooking time; 1 hour cooling time.

Reviews

[Prose]

Thank you for posting this refreshingly unique salad! My best friend and I are beet fiends, and we really loved the way that the spinach and oranges complimented the earthy and sweet flavors of the beets. The colors were beautiful as well. I can't wait to make this again! I used Recipe #443992 for the dressing. The poppy seed dressing might have been a little too sweet for our taste.