Golden Beet, Mango, and Avocado Salad

Holy cow, this is such a great combo—one that I would not have come up with on my own. See, I had something similar recently in Santa Fe, at the lovely restaurant Paloma. The interplay of creamy avocado, earthy beets, and juicy-sweet mango was incredible … inspiring … memorable. I believe their salad was topped with pepitas, but I went with pine nuts for mine, along with a sprinkling of Tajin seasoning for zesty flavor and a hint of chile richness. Check out the recipe below, and then scroll down for beet and mango tips/how-tos.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Author: Ann Taylor Pittman

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Golden Beet, Mango, and Avocado Salad

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Wow, what a trio: Earthy, tender golden beets, juicy-sweet mango, and creamy avocado come together with a barely-there dressing (the ingredients are so good that they need little embellishment). Each serving boasts a hefty 7 grams of fiber, too. Serve alongside tacos, enchiladas, grilled chicken, or seared steak.

ingredients:

• 1 lb. trimmed golden beets (about 4 medium)
• 1 mango
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 ripe, firm avocado
• 2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp. Tajin seasoning (see note below)

instructions:

How to cook Golden Beet, Mango, and Avocado Salad

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Wrap trimmed beets in heavy-duty foil. Roast at 425°F until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Rub off and discard skins. Cut each beet into 8 wedges.
3. Peel mango (a sharp paring knife works well for this). Carefully cut both mango "cheeks" from pit (see photos below). Slice mango cheeks crosswise.
4. Place beet wedges and mango slices in a medium bowl. Drizzle with lime juice and oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toss gently to combine. 
5. Peel and pit avocado; cut crosswise into slices. Arrange avocado and beet-mango mixture  on a platter. Sprinkle evenly with pine nuts, cilantro, and Tajin. 

NOTES:

Calories 221; Fat 12g (sat 2g); Protein 4g; Carb 28g; Fiber 7g; Sugars 20g (added sugars 0g); Sodium 350mg

Created using The Recipes Generator

How to Roast Beets

My favorite way to cook beets is to wrap them in foil and roast them in the oven. If you are pressed for time, though, you can wrap the beets in microwave-safe parchment paper and microwave on HIGH for 6 to 10 minutes. They won’t be quite as tender and moist, but they’ll still be good. Anyway, here’s how I roast in the oven. First, trim the tops of the beets and cut away any “tails.”

Then wrap the trimmed beets tightly in foil.

When the beets are done and have cooled off a bit, you can easily remove the skin. I like to use a paper towel to rub off the skins. Here, you can see little bits of skin in the foil; they just rub off easily, leaving a shiny, smooth peeled beet behind.

Then simply cut each beet into into 8 wedges (and try not to gobble them all up).

How to Cut a Mango

I know there are all kinds of tutorials online that show how to cut a mango. To me, the fastest, easiest way is to peel the entire mango and then cut off both “cheeks.” Holding the peeled mango (a paper towel might help you get a better grip—the peeled mango will be slippery) so that a narrower side is pointing up, slice somewhere between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch from the middle. The pit will announce where it is, and your knife can just graze it as you cut down.

And then cut off the other cheek, on the other side of the pit. Once the cheeks are off, you can slice ‘em, cube ‘em, or keep ‘em whole.

I sprinkle this salad with Tajin seasoning. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a combo of dried chile, dehydrated lime, and sea salt. It’s tangy, it’s salty, and it’s roasty-toasty with the essence of chiles but not necessarily the heat. It is absolutely delicious sprinkled over mango or watermelon or pineapple, used to rim a margarita glass, tossed with popcorn, or dusted over grilled chicken or beef. You’ll find it with the Mexican or Latin American foods in most supermarkets, and you’ll be glad you did!