Cathy Thomas proposes a beet and orange salad for Thanksgiving tables
The food writer's recipe pairs cooked beets with fresh citrus and a sherry vinaigrette to add color and flavor to holiday feasts.
By James Foster ·
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas recommends a fruit and beet salad to add visual interest and taste to Thanksgiving dinners. The dish combines the sweet tartness of fresh oranges with cooked beets, pomegranate seeds, and red onions. A simple vinaigrette ties the ingredients together, and diners can finish the plate with crumbled goat cheese if they wish.
Thomas suggests using navel oranges for the mix, though she notes that Cara Cara or blood oranges work well if available. To streamline preparation, the author advises using boxed, ready-to-use cooked beets found in the supermarket produce section. This approach saves time without sacrificing flavor.
The recipe yields six servings. It requires three fresh oranges, half a cup of sherry vinegar, half a teaspoon of salt, and half a cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Cooks also need one-quarter of a small red onion, thinly sliced into separated rings, and one tablespoon of minced fresh basil leaves. The base consists of three to four medium cooked beets, peeled and sliced, along with one cup of pomegranate seeds.
Microgreens and chilled goat cheese are listed as optional garnishes. To begin, remove the colored zest from one orange and mince it, setting it aside. Peel the remaining oranges by slicing off the top and bottom to expose the flesh. Cut the skin and pith away in strips, following the fruit's contour from top to bottom. Slice the oranges into pieces approximately three-eighths of an inch thick.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the minced zest, vinegar, and salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. Whisk in the olive oil, then add the onion and basil. Stir the mixture and taste it, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Arrange the beet slices in a single layer on six salad plates or a large platter.
Top the beets with orange slices arranged in a single layer so that parts of the beet slices remain visible. Stir the vinaigrette and spoon it over the beets and oranges. Finish the dish with the pomegranate seeds. Add microgreens and goat cheese if desired.
The recipe appears in Thomas's book Melissa's Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce. She has written three cookbooks, including Melissa's 50 Best Plants on the Planet. Readers can follow her work at CathyThomasCooks.com.
