Sweet roasted beets with raw crunchy fennel and creamy avocado is a magical combination of veggie textures. Crunchy spiced seeds go on top to add a salty crunch. The star is, of course, the dressing! It’s a simple miso dressing you make in the blender and you end up with a creamy, salty, sweet dressing that will knock your socks off!
Ingredient highlight
Miso paste! Miso means “fermented beans” in Japanese and is typically made using fermented soy beans and/or grains. It packs in lots of umami-rich flavor, making it great for dressings, sauces, soups, and marinades. It’s also rich in probiotics, B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin K, and folate.
Servings 4 side
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 3 beets, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1-1 ½ lb)
- 1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, cored, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 avocado, cut into chunks
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
For the seeds:
- ¾ cup mixed seeds pumpkin, sunflower, sesame
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp mellow white miso paste
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Add seeds, oil, spices, and salt and toss to coat. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or just until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl or plate to cool. Increase oven to 450F or 425F convection..
- Add the beets to the same baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add olive oil and salt and toss to coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Let cool for a few minutes.
- In a high speed blender, add all of the dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Add beets and fennel to a large bowl along with about ½ of the dressing. Toss to coat.
- Transfer to a platter (or your plate) and top with avocado, plenty of seeds, and herbs. Drizzle with a bit more remaining dressing.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Prep 3 beets and 2 cups fennel
- Make/toast the seeds
- Make the dressing
Substitutions:
- Don’t like beets? Substitute with carrots.
- Don’t like fennel? Substitute with cucumber (remove seeds).
- Use any combination of spices on your seeds.
- If you don’t have miso paste, try using 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 tablespoon tahini in its place.
- Want to up the protein? Serve it with some simple baked fish, grilled chicken, or add lentils or chickpeas into the mix.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge:
- Leftover salad: up to 4 days
- Leftover dressing: up to 4 days
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Use leftover seeds to top salads and bowls. They are a delicious salty, crunchy topper.
- The salad tastes best at room temp, so let it sit out for 10-20 minutes if you can before eating.
- Top with any remaining dressing, seeds, and herbs.
- This would be delicious served as a side with baked fish or grilled chicken.
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