Field greens with roasted beets, goat cheese croutons, and dijon vinaigrette

6
Points®
Total Time
40 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Field greens, microgreens, mesclun, baby greens—all these monikers became salad buzzwords in the 1990s, where they featured on the menus of upscale restaurants. But the idea is an old one; cooks in France and Italy have been creating salads from mixed bunches of tender baby greens for ages. Look for the label "spring greens" on prebagged grocery store salad kits, or choose colorful mixes of baby greens at your farmer's market. Dressed with a tart Dijon vinaigrette, a colorful smattering of beets (you could use one golden beet and one standard red one for added variety), you've got a classy but easy salad. A little goat cheese goes a long way, given its assertive, tangy flavor. Other additions, if desired, could include finely chopped chives or toasted walnut pieces as a garnish.

Ingredients

Uncooked beets

¾ pound(s), 2 medium, peeled, trimmed, and cubed

Fresh thyme

1 tsp, fresh, chopped or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried

French bread

4 oz, (1 ounce) slices, or Italian bread, toasted

Semisoft goat cheese

2 oz

Fresh parsley

2 Tbsp, fresh, falt-leaf, chopped

White wine

1½ fl oz, or reduced-sodium chicken broth

Olive oil

4 tsp

Red wine vinegar

2 tsp, or white or or cider vinegar

Dijon mustard

1 tsp

Garlic

1 clove(s), bruised

Table salt

¼ tsp

Black pepper

tsp, freshly ground, or to taste

Fresh mixed greens

8 oz

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  2. Spray a small baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine the beets and thyme in the pan; toss to coat and spray again with nonstick spray. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. To prepare the croutons, spread the toasted bread slices with the goat cheese; sprinkle with the parsley and set aside.
  4. To prepare the dressing, combine the wine or chicken broth, oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; let stand 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Whisk until smooth.
  5. To assemble the salad, drizzle a teaspoon of the dressing over the beets in the pan and toss to coat evenly. Add the greens to the bowl with the remaining dressing; toss to coat evenly. Divide the greens among 4 salad plates. Top each with one-fourth of the beets, then with a crouton. Yields 2 cups with 1 crouton per serving.