Grapefruit and beet salad is a gorgeously colorful and healthy lunch to make from winter right into spring.
I had this Grapefruit and Roasted Beet Salad several times while I was in Florida last month, and it was one of the things I looked most forward to recreating at home. Beets and grapefruit are a classic pairing, and the tangy acidity of the citrus complements the sweet starchy beets perfectly. It’s one of the healthiest lunches you could possibly have. It would also be wonderful as a side dish with salmon, shrimp, or just about anything!
what you’ll need
- beets, mixed colors
- allow 2 small or 1 medium beet per serving
- grapefruit,
- Ruby red, pink, or mixed grapefruit sections (about 1/2 grapefruit per serving)
- red onion
- lime
- olive oil
- honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
The thing that makes this dish so tempting to me is that it uses three different kinds (and colors) of beets: red, pink, and golden. The colors look stunning next to the grapefruit. I quarantine my deep red beets so they don’t bleed their color on everything else, and put them on the salad at the last minute, in their own corner of the plate.
For any of you with a lingering beet phobia, spring is the time to start facing it down. Beets are downright gorgeous at this time of year, they have a delicate flavor and a creamy texture. When you roast them in the oven, their skins will slip off easily.
You can make round slices, wedges, or just cut them up in big cubes. They keep really well in the refrigerator, so you can slice and dice them into salads all week long.
related: Roasted Beet and Burrata Salad
lime vinaigrette
This dressing is simple but the lime makes it stand out from the ordinary. Feel free to substitute lemon, or even more grapefruit for the lime.
variations on grapefruit and beet salad
- Sometimes you’ll see the beets paired with avocado, or oranges.
- Often there will be some kind of cheese, like creamy goat cheese or crumbles of feta or blue.
- If you like nuts, add walnuts, or top with crushed pistachios.
- Serve the whole thing over spring greens, if you want to.
Grapefruit and Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 4 beets, mixed colors – allow 2 small or 1 medium beet per serving
- 1 grapefruit, Ruby red, pink, or mixed grapefruit sections (about 1/2 grapefruit per serving)
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced, for garnish
- 1 tsp lime zest, for garnish
Citrus Vinaigrette
- 2 limes, juiced (plus zest from one)
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Roast the beets. (You can do this ahead) Cut off and discard the leafy greens (or use for another recipes). Scrub the beets and put them on a dry baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until a small sharp knife can pierce them easily. Depending on the size of your beets, this may take an hour to an hour and a half.
- Remove the beets from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins. If you have trouble, use a serrated vegetable peeler.
- If roasting ahead, refrigerate the beets until ready to use.
- Slice, quarter, or chop the beets, but keep the dark red ones separate so they don't bleed color onto the golden beets.
- Arrange the beets on individual plates along with the grapefruit. Top with thinly sliced red onion. Just before serving, drizzle with the lime vinaigrette, and garnish with a little lime zest.
Vinaigrette
- To make the vinaigrette, juice the limes, and slowly drizzle in good olive oil, while you whisk it. Add a drop of honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the zest and taste to adjust any of the ingredients to your liking.
when someone says they’re afraid of beets, i always urge them to try the spring beats also, because agree: they are gorgeous right now. so many colors! i’ve been roasting them frequently to add to chopped kale with a little caraway vinaigrette; easy lunch. i never thought to pair them with grapefruit, which we have in beautiful abundance right now (i just made a grapefruit curd for the first time the other day and was stunned by their sweet/tart redness) i think i have one leftover, which means I could make this today without even running to the store.