Roasting makes everything taste better. The roasted beets and shrimp in this salad pack a flavorful punch, which is only highlighted by some orange segments and a light, citrus dressing. Make this salad if you’re in the mood for a pretty lunch. Or if you have some beets to use up. Surprisingly, even Stella’s nose went wild for it!
Start off by preheating your oven to 425ºF. Then, peel and chop your beets into uniformly sized pieces. I had a beautiful bunch of red and orange beets. The red ones let out so much juice while I was preparing them that I kept thinking I was bleeding! Now I know why they’re frequently used as a dying agent. Toss your beets on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast your beets for 20 minutes, or until they are browned (blackened in my case) and their sugars have concentrated. At the same time, roast some shrimp (also tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper) for 5-6 minutes or until they are fully cooked.
While your beets and shrimp are roasting, cut up some orange segments. Use a paring knife to cut away the skin and white pith from the orange. Then, run your knife towards the center of the orange along the sides of each segment until they pop free. I used clementines, and it took forever to cut out each delicate, little segment. What can I say… I had some time to kill. It was quite therapeutic until my fingers started to cramp.
Assemble your salad by putting some lettuce into a bowl and piling on the roasted beets, shrimp, and orange segments. Your salad will be easier to eat (but less pretty) if you cut the shrimp into bite-sized pieces first. Top the salad off with some toasted almond slivers (or whatever nut you like). Then, drizzle the whole thing with some olive oil and orange/clementine juice squeezed straight from the fruit. I enjoyed the contrasting temperatures in my salad (cold lettuce and oranges, hot beets and shrimp), but it’s also delicious served at room temperature. Enjoy!