meatless monday: wild rice and beet salad
We grow beets, but we’ve been trying to eat more than we grow. I love roasting a whole batch (at 400 °F for 40ish minutes with olive oil and salt and pepper) and then eating them throughout the week, and, lately, I have been cheating a bit and buying the Love Beets brand at Costco just because they make it so easy to eat more beets. Our kids don’t love them (and to be honest, they aren’t my favorite vegetable), but we all eat them because they’re so outrageously nutrient-dense.
This is a great main course for Meatless Monday, or a side dish for any day of the week. I’ve been making a big batch for dinner on Mondays, and then eating it as a side until it runs out.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice (or other hearty grain, like bulgur or farro)
- 1 pound beets, peeled, roasted and diced (or one 8.8 oz package of prepared organic beets, like Love Beets)
- Small red onion, diced
- 3-4 stalks celery, diced
- 6-8 variety of root vegetables like carrots, turnips, radishes, sweet potatoes, and parsnips (or just carrots if you can't find the other options; rainbow carrots are especially tasty - and pretty - in this)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 heads of garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds, roasted if desired
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, if desired (I usually serve on the side in case anyone has dairy allergies)
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Handful of fresh parsley (or frozen if you're like me)
- 1/2 olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prep roots vegetables: wash, peel if desired, cut into one-inch pieces. Toss veggies in a large bowl with a few glugs of olive oil. Salt and pepper liberally. Spread on large baking sheet, add garlic cloves, and roast for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Cook the rice (or grains) according to cooking instructions. (I rely on my Instant Pot for perfect rice every time).
- While the rice is cooking and the veggies are roasting, prep your dressing. I just put everything in a mason jar and shake vigorously. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
- For a little extra flavor, try roasting your seeds in a large skillet over medium-high heat, just until you start to the small the nuttiness of the seeds.
- Add your diced onion, beets (drained of juices), and diced celery to a large bowl. When the roasted root vegetables are done, add them to your large bowl, making sure to save all of your olive oil and dumping it in with the vegetables. Smash the roasted garlic gently with a fork and add it to the bowl.
- Once the rice is cooked and while it is still warm, add it to the large bowl of remaining ingredients. Pour the dressing over the rice, and stir until combined. The warmth of the rice and the vegetables will help meld the flavors together.
- Add the roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds to the top of the salad and serve the feta on the side.
Notes
Adapted wildly from Naturally Ella.
More Meatless Monday options here.
