Dressed up for Christmas but suitable for any occasion, this colourful and flavour-packed salad turns heads and backs up its good looks with great taste. The sweet beets pair perfectly with tangy citrus vinaigrette, tender lettuce and crunchy walnut meringue.
1 head butter lettuce
2 medium-size beets
100 g soft goat cheese
150 g baby Roma tomatoes
30 g dried cranberries
1 large orange
For walnut meringue:
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
250g walnuts
For orange vinaigrette:
1 shallot
1 Tbsp liquid honey
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
salt
pepper
Wrap the beets in foil and roast at 350F until tender (time will vary depending on size) about 1 - 1.5 hours.
For walnut meringue:
Preheat oven to 275F. Whip room temperature egg whites with mixer until frothy. Slowly add sugar while beating until a meringue is formed (stiff peak). Toss walnuts in meringue and spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 275 for 1.5 hours. Let dry for 1 hour. Store meringue in a cool dry place.
For orange vinaigrette:
Finely chop shallots and put in a jar with a lid. Add orange juice, honey, vinegar and canola oil and shake. Season with salt and pepper. Wash and hand tear lettuce into bite sized pieces. Cut tomatoes in half. Slice peeled beets into bite sized pieces. Peel and segment oranges. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and dress with dressing. Place in a serving platter and top with goat cheese, dried cranberries and pieces of walnut meringue.
