Makes 8 portions
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons light agave syrup
- 12 oz beets, peeled and roasted
- 4 oz red grapes
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 oz blueberries
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup opal basil, sliced into thin ribbons
- 3 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Directions
- Combine the balsamic vinegar and agave syrup in a small saucepan and simmer until reduced by about half. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Peel and cut the beets into medium dice. Cut the red grapes in half lengthwise. Thinly slice the red onions. Wash and drain the blueberries.
- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar-agave syrup reduction with the oil. Add the salt, pepper, and opal basil. Set the dressing aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cut beets, grapes, blueberries, and red onion. Dress the salad and toss to thoroughly combine. Top with goat cheese before serving.
Chef’s notes: The salad may be served on a bed of spinach or chiffonade Tuscan kale. For crunch, add a sprinkling of lightly toasted chopped pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds. If you can’t find opal basil, you can substitute any type of sprout, such as pea shoots, broccoli sprouts, or amaranth sprouts.
The picture shows blackberries too. Would you use 4 oz. ?
We’ve made this recipe both with and without blackberries (as you noticed!), and it’s great either way! If you have tasty blackberries, 4 oz should be plenty. You may want to half them if they’re really big. We’ve also used halved pitted cherries, so basically the answer is, this recipe is a great starting point, but you can add any seasonal fruit — and bonus points for sticking with the color theme!