Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad w/Grapefruit Vinagrette

Salads are a staple in our house, but sometimes we get bored with the standard lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. This salad uses cooled roasted vegetables as well as fresh greens and juicy grapefruit. The addition of radish provides a little crunch and a tangy flavor.

The roasted vegetables in this salad provide a nice sweetness, which is balanced out by the sourness of the grapefruit. When I roast the vegetables for this salad, I place the beets in a separate pan from the other vegetables. This keeps the color of the beets from bleeding onto the carrots and makes the finished salad more appealing. Additionally, roasting one of the grapefruits makes it easier to juice and also mellows out the flavor of the citrus, making for a lightly flavored dressing for the salad.

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad w/Grapefruit Vinagrette

6 carrots (about 1 lb total)

3 beets (about 1 1/2 lb total)

2 grapefruits

9 Tbsp olive oil

1 stem rosemary

8 cups mixed greens

4 radishes, cut into matchsticks

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and slice carrots into 3 inch pieces. Toss with 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with beets, cutting into 1/2 inch cubes. Transfer to baking dishes, topping carrots with rosemary. Cut one grapefruit in half and transfer to baking dish.

Roast carrots, beets, and grapefruit in 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and lightly browned in spots. Remove from oven and let cool.

Section remaining grapefruit. Divide greens, carrots, beets, radishes, and grapefruit sections evenly between four plates. Into a separate bowl, squeeze 1/4 cup juice from roasted grapefruit halves. Whisk in remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salads.