A Colorful Symphony: Roasted Baby Beet and Citrus Salad for the Planet and the Palate
If you think salads are just leafy greens and a drizzle of vinaigrette, think again. This vibrant and earthy dish from Cathy Katin-Grazzini’s Love the Foods That Love the Planet redefines what a salad can be—bursting with roasted baby beets, juicy citrus, peppery greens, creamy plant-based cheese, and a thoughtful approach to sustainability.
Rooted in bold flavor, stunning color, and eco-conscious choices, this salad brings together seasonal produce and clever culinary techniques in a dish that’s as beautiful as it is nourishing. Whether you serve it as a light lunch, an appetizer, or the main event at a dinner party, it’s a celebration of flavor, texture, and mindful eating.
A Balance of Sweet, Sharp, and Savory
This isn’t your average beet salad. Cathy’s version is a finely tuned orchestra of ingredients, each playing its part. Roasted golden and red baby beets bring a mellow earthiness and a slight sweetness. Juicy red mandarins and tart pink grapefruit offer a tangy contrast that lifts the dish, while slivers of shallot and halved radishes add a satisfying crunch and peppery brightness.
The greens—tender baby arugula and, when available, delicate raw beet leaves—create the perfect base. But what really elevates this salad is the addition of homemade soy labneh, a creamy, tangy, plant-based yogurt cheese. It’s dotted across the plate like edible pearls, offering richness and a probiotic boost. A final touch of pistachios and fresh dill gives the salad both visual appeal and a pleasing variety of texture.
Climate-Conscious Ingredients
What sets this recipe apart isn’t just taste—it’s also thoughtfully sourced with sustainability in mind. Cathy notes the environmental footprint of key ingredients, offering insight into how our food choices impact the planet.
- Grapefruit and oranges grown in the U.S. produce relatively low greenhouse gas emissions (around 0.11 kg CO₂eq per kilogram). The bulk of their footprint comes from fertilizer use, farm machinery, and land management.
- Pistachios, while nutritious and protein-rich, have a higher carbon footprint (2.0 kg CO₂eq per kilogram), largely due to energy-intensive irrigation and farm equipment usage.
These stats aren’t here to shame—they’re here to inform. Armed with this knowledge, we can make more balanced decisions, like choosing local, in-season produce or using nuts in moderation.
How to Bring It All Together
This salad might look like fine dining, but it’s easy to make with a bit of planning. Here’s the step-by-step:
1. Roast the Beets
Peel and halve your red and golden baby beets, keeping them separate to prevent staining. Wrap them in parchment paper “bags” (an eco-friendly method!) and roast at 400°F for an hour. The result: tender, caramelized beets that are jewel-toned and naturally sweet.
2. Make the Soy Labneh
This creamy, tangy cheese alternative is made by straining cultured soy yogurt in muslin for about three hours. As the liquid whey drains away, you’re left with a thick, spreadable “cheese” that’s rich in probiotics and perfect for dotting onto your salad.
3. Optional Dressing
Want to add another layer? Blend roasted golden beets with soy yogurt, garlic, mustard, and a touch of white miso. This velvety dressing offers a sweet, savory, and slightly tangy finish that complements the salad beautifully.
4. Assemble with Intention
On a bed of arugula, alternate red and golden beet pieces with segments of citrus. Tuck in radish halves and shallot slivers. Then, spoon small dollops of the labneh throughout. Top with a scattering of pistachios and sprigs of dill.
Serve it all at room temperature, with or without dressing—either way, the flavors shine.
Why This Salad Works
Beyond its rainbow-hued visual appeal, this salad thrives on contrast. It’s a composition of opposites: creamy meets crisp, sweet meets tangy, soft beets meet crunchy radishes and pistachios. It’s also a celebration of natural ingredients and minimal waste. Even the beet leaves get their moment if you’ve got them on hand.
More than that, it’s a dish that honors both our health and the health of the planet. By spotlighting plant-based ingredients and reducing reliance on animal products and high-impact crops, it aligns with the growing movement toward climate-friendly eating—one colorful plate at a time.
Final Thoughts: Salad with a Purpose
In Love the Foods That Love the Planet, Cathy Katin-Grazzini invites us to think differently about the food we put on our plates—not just what tastes good, but what feels good to eat in every sense. This salad embodies that mission: fresh, flavorful, planet-forward, and thoughtfully designed.
So next time you’re in the mood for something refreshing and a little unexpected, let this roasted beet and citrus salad be your go-to. It’s proof that what’s good for the earth can also be deliciously good for us.
