Beets and garlic are useful on their own, but their combination in an appetizing salad makes this dietary dish a storehouse of vitamins, trace elements and other substances that allow for the normal functioning of many internal organs and systems. This salad will become a hit not only on the dietary menu, but also on any festive table.
How to choose and cook beets correctly
Since beets are the base of this salad, their flavor will determine how well the dish turns out to be. It should be borne in mind that closer to summer, old-crop beets become tough and fibrous, so you need to eat them in spring. Choose root vegetables that are not damaged and of the correct shape, not deformed, otherwise there is a risk of buying beets grown in poor conditions, they can be tough and tasteless. Its color should be maroon.
Before cooking, wash the root vegetables in running water, if dirt adheres to them, remove it with a stiff brush. Do not cut off the top of the beets, if there are leaves, cut them off, leaving 2 cm. Boil it, depending on the size, from 30 to 60 minutes.
You cannot peel the beets before cooking - your task is to ensure that the boiled beets do not fade, and all the useful juices are preserved in them, so you cannot cut them into pieces either.
But the most correct way to prepare beets for salad is to bake them in the oven. Wipe the washed root vegetables well with kitchen paper towels and lightly coat each with olive or any other vegetable oil. Wrap each beet tightly in foil and place in oven at 200 ° C for 45 minutes. Then take out, unfold, cool and clean.
Salad and beets with garlic
To make beetroot salad with garlic, you will need:
- 2 medium-sized beets;
- 1 tbsp. olive oil;
- 1 tsp good balsamic vinegar;
- 1 large clove of garlic;
- ½ cup shelled walnuts;
- black pepper, salt - to taste.
Cut the peeled beets into thin slices, then into strips and cubes less than 5 mm in size. The smaller the slice size, the better. You can, of course, grate the beets on a coarse grater, but finely chopped, it looks "more elegant" in the salad. Place everything in a large bowl. Salt and pepper the beets, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and vegetable oil.
For dressing such a salad, it is better not to use purchased mayonnaise, if you like this sauce, make it yourself.
Crush the garlic with the flat side of a kitchen knife and chop finely. Lightly fry the walnuts in a hot skillet without adding oil, then grind them in a mortar or use a blender's chopper. Add the garlic and nuts to the salad just before serving to prevent them from staining with the beetroot juice. You can sprinkle the salad with fresh herbs - parsley, cilantro.
