Wow, what a blistering hot weekend! I wish that I were floating in a raft along the American River right about now. Last weekend I drove up to Sacramento for my friend Joanna’s birthday, and after spending a day relaxing on a raft in the American River, we went to a Japanese restaurant in downtown Sacramento to celebrate her 24th. Oh dear, we’re all getting so old!
We had some very tasty Japanese food where I ate a Miso Beet Salad and a veggie roll. The salad left such a great impression on me that I went home thinking and thinking about how I could possibly recreate it. I bought a white miso paste and played around with the recipe until it fit my liking.
The dressing is fairly thick, but doesn’t contain anything that would be considered ‘unhealthy’. The first bite will strike you with a blend of different flavors: umami, tangy, sweet, and a slight creaminess.
If you like anything Miso, you’ll probably like this! Right before I dig into the salad, I like to squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over it to balance the sweet flavors from the beets.
Recipe is down below!
Ingredients:
- 1 beet
- Spring Mix salad (mixed greens)
Dressing
- 2 Tbsp white miso paste
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp honey
- 1 clove minced garlic
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp plain low fat yogurt
Instructions:
- Rinse the beet root. Place the beet in a pot of water, bring the pot to a boil, cover the pot, and then lower the heat to medium. Boil the beet until it is soft (about 10 minutes). Poke the beet with a chopstick or fork to check if it’s ready. You can add some salt to the liquid to flavor the beet.
- For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk them until smooth.
- Peel and chop the beets. Arrange the beets with some mixed greens, squeeze a little lemon juice over the salad if you’d like, and then drizzle some miso dressing over the salad. Start with a little bit of dressing and add more if you need to. It’s quite a powerful dressing.
For the photo, I definitely tried to showcase the beets that I’d painstakingly peeled (I can’t peel things to save my life).
The beets are the stars in this dish not only because they taste great, but because they also contain a variety of health benefits when consumed. For example, since beets are rich in a mixture of antioxidants, they can protect you from certain types of cancers. They can also protect your organs from inflammation, lower your blood pressure, and help pregnant women prevent birth defects (beets are rich in folate, especially when raw). They’re pretty awesome vegetables, but do contain a higher sugar content than most other vegetables. So if you’re a diabetic who’s extremely sensitive to sugars, be wary about eating too many of them.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this salad. With the added mixed greens (hopefully more than what I have in the photo above), it provides plenty of fiber and vitamins for your body to run smoothly.
I hope that you all had a fantastic Sunday. If you have time to whip up a salad for lunch this week, don’t be afraid to give this one a shot! Stay happy and healthy y’all!
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