Roasted Beets and Carrots with Goat Cheese Dressing

Many bottled salad dressings are loaded with fat, as well as preservatives that keep them shelf-stable. Plus, they often just don't taste very good. F&W's Grace Parisi makes a simple, creamy dressing by whisking fresh goat cheese with vinegar and oil; she tosses it with a salad of warm roasted beets and beet greens, which brings us to another good rule: Eat vegetables from root to leaf when possible. More Beet Recipes

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds golden beets with tops

1 ½ pounds red beets with tops

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 large garlic cloves (halved)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 ounces fresh baby carrots

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 large shallot (minced)

1 ounce soft goat cheese (crumbled)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°. Peel the beets and cut them into 1-inch wedges. Discard the tough stems from the beet tops and coarsely chop the leaves.

In a bowl, toss the golden beets with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and 2 garlic clove halves and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in one-third of a large ovenproof skillet. Repeat with the red beets and then the carrots, using 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 2 garlic halves for each vegetable. Set the skillet over high heat and cook without stirring until sizzling. Cover the skillet and roast in the oven for about 35 minutes, until tender. Transfer the vegetables to a platter.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and half of the shallot. Season with salt and pepper and whisk in the goat cheese.

In the skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the remaining shallot and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 1 minute. Add the chopped beet greens and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add half of the goat cheese dressing to the beet greens and toss. Add the roasted vegetables and toss once or twice. Transfer the salad to a platter and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve right away.

Make Ahead

The roasted vegetables can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Rewarm before assembling the salad.