I developed this beet salad for Cooking Light magazine way back in the late 1990s. It’s still a winner today. You’ll get the idea of how easy it is to use the pressure cooker. to make this recipe.
Pictured here are gold and chioggia beets but red ones work just as well, albeit a bit messier.
Beets in just 3 minutes? Yes, slice them thin. And if they’re young, you don’t need to peel them. At least I don”t, This recipe is perfect for this time of year when citrus is at its peak.
This recipe appears in my cookbook The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and it also appears in The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes.
Orange Scented Beet Salad
Makes 4 1 cup servings of beets plus ½ cup greens
3 minutes high pressure; 7 minute natural pressure release
Cooking beets has never been easier. They become so tender that you don’t even need to peel them.
1 ½   pounds beets, about 6 medium or more small (smaller is usually better)
½     cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â tablespoons cider vinegar
3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â large slices orange zest from organic oranges
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â tablespoons brown sugar, Sucanat or agave syrup
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â teaspoons Dijon mustard
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â teaspoons orange zest
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â green onions, sliced
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â cups spicy greens like arugula, mustard or a mix, washed and dried
Scrub beets. Remove tops, stems and tails and cut in half. Then cut into ¼-inch slices.
Put the orange juice, vinegar and the large slices of orange zest into the cooker. Add the beet slices. Lock on the lid. Bring the pressure to high over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain high pressure for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Let the pressure come down naturally for 7 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
Remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Remove the large pieces of orange zest. Stir in the brown sugar and mustard.
Remove the beets from the cooking liquid and let cool for 5 minutes. Mix the orange zest and green onions with the beets. Pour the liquid from the cooker over the beets. Spoon ¼ of the mixture onto ½ cup of spicy greens on individual salad plates. Or you may chill the beets, without the zest and green onions, and let sit in the liquid for a day or two. Right before serving stir in the orange zest and green onions.
This photo is the undressed (naked) salad.
Elsie says
Jill thank you for suggesting this recipe. I actually like it. I have been doing everything I can to improve one of my suboptimal lab values. Eating beets was one of the plants/ vegetables that was suggested to help. It worked. This is very delicious and I am eating the whole recipe myself. Thanks again
Carrie says
Beets yes! Orange with beets, yes! Mustard with beets–yes again! Looks great.
Jill Nussinow says
I know Carrie. And the little spoonful of tahini today made it even more decadent. Yum.
sandra says
how can this be made without a pressure cooker?
Jill Nussinow says
Thank you for your comment. When I was testing this recipe, I gave some to a friend of mine to taste. Her comment, “More beets please…” I knew that it was a winner. I make it for myself since my husband doesn’t eat beets.
June Siegel-Hill says
This looks absolutely super. My mouth is watering just looking at it. Thanks!