Beets in Vinaigrette

Sometimes you need to mix things up a little.  My favorite recipe for beets is Roasted Beets with Cumin and Mint.  It's fresh, savory and delicious.  But the flavors are pretty distinct and the dish doesn't go with everything.  I also love a good arugula salad with ricotta salata and some roasted beets.  But sometimes you don't want that either.  To go with tonight's pasta I decided to just throw together a really simple beet salad, with simple flavors that would compliment, rather than compete with, our Pasta with Tuna Bottarga and Bread Crumbs.  While I prefer roasting beets, our beets were gigantic enough that I was worried that they would take forever to roast.  So I decided to go ahead and follow this recipe and simmer the beets instead.  You lose a little of the super sweet flavor of the beets when you simmer them instead of roasting them.  But this beets were a nice simple side dish, nothing spectacular, but nice nonetheless.  I liked the versatility of it.  And I liked the tartness of the vinegar in the dressing.  Overall, a nice dish.  As with the pasta, I would put it in the category of solid like.

Recipe after the jump!

Beets with Vinaigrette

Gourmet

January 2008

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds medium beets (about 4; 2 1/2 pounds with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached

2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cover beets generously with water in a heavy medium saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool to warm, then slip off skins. Cut beets into 1/4-inch slices.

Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, onion, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking, then add warm beets and parsley and toss. Season with additional sugar and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.