I love Winnie over at Healthy Green Kitchen. She was one of the first bloggers to comment on my blog after I started in this biz. She creates lots of fabulous dishes that really make my mouth water. Her food always looks fabulous, credit to her great photography skills, and tastes as good as it looks. I know because I’ve also made her Tomato Ginger Jam and her award winning Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini (more than once I’ve made this). And it’s all very healthy because Winnie is a naturopathic doctor as well as a recipe developer, food writer and photographer. She has recently taken on the title of Bee Keeper, too. And has her own chickens with fresh eggs. A lady with enumerable talents!
In fact, I love her so much that I have her autograph in a cookbook in which she was published.
I could go on and on about this sweet and wonderful lady. But I know you are salivating already.
I was assigned Winnie’s blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. Choosing was the difficult part. The nice thing is that all of Winnie’s recipes are simple and delicious. So when I saw her Roasted Beet Salad with Greens and Candied Pecans I knew it was going to be great and get me in and out of the kitchen without a lot of fuss and muss.
This is a perfect weeknight salad (as long as you have already roasted your beets and make up some extra candied walnuts). And the flavor is tangy, sweet and plays as many notes in your mouth as a Rachmaninov concerto.
Roasted Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts
adapted from Healthy Green Kitchen
ingredients:
For the Walnuts
2 cups chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp melted Butter
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Ingredients for the salad:
6-8 medium-large Red Beets
4 cups clean Spring Mix Greens
1 head Red Leaf Lettuce, cleaned and chopped
1 cup Candied Walnuts
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 cup Feta Cheese
4 Tb. Olive Oil and 2 Tb. Fresh Lime Juice for the dressing
Himalayan or Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste
For the walnuts:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes. Toss and bake for about 5 minutes more. Store what you don’t use in the salad in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
For the salad:
Scrub beets, remove ends and wrap in foil. Place in a 375°F oven and roast for 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Peel then slice. Mix with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Serves 8.
Winnie mentioned this was a great salad for their Thanksgiving meal – which really isn’t that far away. YIKES!
Mountain Man and I sat down to this treat with our grilled lamb chops, my special half-baked potatoes, and English peas the other night. MM eyed the salad with that certain skepticism that normally accompanies something different on the table. After the first bite, I thought he would probably lick his salad bowl.
I know I did.
Beets leaving some behind in the bowl.
Suz
Check out all of the great food bloggers in this month’s SRC recipes.
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Girl you flatter me too much- I am getting all teary eyed over here from all the nice things you said. Sniff sniff.
Thank you for trying this recipe and I am so very glad it was a hit
It was my pleasure – and the pleasure of several other people that happily ate this salad over the weekend.
that looks so lovely, all the textures and flavours. Great dinner salad. Love the picture too.
Thanks so much! I tried to really bring out all of the beautiful colors in the salad.
LOVE this salad!
Thanks! But be careful. It’s very addictive!
Great salad!! i love the candied walnut in it. Perfect for autumn. Thanks
I could eat these walnuts for a little snack when I want something a bit sweet!
I just want to know if you had to look up how to spell Rachmaninov correctly?
LOVE this kind of salad. Do did Winnie use pecans and you use walnuts? It says pecans throughout the recipe, but you titled it walnuts. Either way–I am what I eat and I don’t exclude any nut! I just wish I had some beets right now.
I had to go as far as my piano bench to find the spelling.
And yes, dang it. I used Walnuts, she used pecans. Good grief! I went to our Central Market here and they had ALL kinds of beets. I love them too. I’m glad you like nuts. I like you, too. 
I am ALL about candied nuts. And beets. Especially roasted beets. Definitely my kind of salad. You know, this would be lovely at a holiday dinner table. I know I’m thinking a bit ahead, but we all know it’ll be here before we know it.
I know that Winnie said she served hers last Thanksgiving, and I can assure you it will also be on my Thanksgiving table, too. Would be great for a light lunch with a bit of grilled chicken, too!
How fun that you were assigned a blog that you love. Great looking salad and it sounds delicious.
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my SRC recipe this month: Welsh Cakes.
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Winnie has so many great dishes on her blog, it was difficult to choose!
What a gorgeous salad! Such great colors and flavors…this looks delicious!
Thanks so much, Sara! And thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. (Love the kitty.)
This salad looks (and sounds!) mouthwatering. I love beets so much and those candied walnuts really are the icing on the cake!
Thanks so much, Shelby! It’s been a few days since I’ve had some of this salad. I think it’s about time to make it again! Thanks for stopping by.
I love Winnie too! Her blog is awesome. This recipe looks sooo good. My husband has recently fallen in love with beets and I have some on hand right now so will be making this soon!
And who can’t love Leo the Cat. LOL! Thanks for hopping by!
I’d already fallen in love with this salad – thanks for linking it up at my salad blog hop! And reminding me that I need to make it ASAP!
Glad you like it! It is one of my all-time favorites!!!
It is DELICIOUS! And great for a crowd or pot luck. Always fresh, yummy and filling!
What a gorgeous salad, thanks for sharing! Happy Cooking!
I think I’ve become addicted. Had a little more tonight. Thanks for stopping by!
and i just bought some beets–perfect~~I know what I am having for lunch tomorrow!!!!
You’re gonna love it!
Beet salad is my FAVORITE. This looks so delicious
Thanks so much! Winnie is wonderful and so is this salad. I’m addicted!
I love Winnie too! And these salad looks sublime.
Hi, Georgia! Thanks and thanks for “hopping” by!
First off…I love the name of your blog! Secondly, I jut started liking beets about a year ago, and I can’t believe what I was mising for all these years! This salad is not only gorgeous, but I love the sweet, salty, savory and textural contrast in it. Fantastic choice!!
Thank you! and Thank you again! And so glad you found beets!
The salad looks delicious, and I love the idea of roasting extra beets and candying extra nuts ahead of time. Thank you so much for linking to the salad recipe roundup!
And, btw, those nuts are fabulous on ice cream, too.