Roased beets and charred onion salad {rosemary + pine nuts + pecorino cheese}

Roasted beets and charred onion salad – sweet and smoky, earthy and flavorful, with rosemary, pine nuts, Pecorino cheese, and a drizzle of truffle oil – this warm salad is nothing short of spectacular!

Roasted beets and charred onion salad – sweet and smoky, earthy and flavorful, this warm salad is nothing short of spectacular!

I’m obviously, super excited to share this recipe with you today. I know it’s spring, and most of you probably have greens on their mind, rather than root veggies, but bare with me here for a minute and imagine this – thin roasted beet slices, sweet charred onions, drizzled lightly with truffle oil, and balsamic vinegar, and topped with fresh rosemary, pine nuts, and a generous amount of shaved Pecorino cheese. This, my friends, is simply divine!

I don’t use the word “best” lightly, but if I may, I would say this is probably the best salad I’ve made to day. I think it tops my other roasted beet salad with caramelized garlic and goat cheese, that everyone loves so much, and it might be my personal favorite recipe from the blog so far.

Slicing the beets thinly, and roasting them this way, not only cuts down cooking time, but also makes the beets taste even better – slightly crispy on the outside, but still chewy on the inside.  And I absolutely love them in combination with the charred red onions, their sweet flavor concentrated from the roasting, caramelized and almost jammy, with their edges crisped up and burnt.

For balance and contrast, I used salty, buttery Pecorino cheese that plays so nicely against the sweet and smoky flavors of the onions and beets.  To build yet another layer of flavor, I added a splash of truffle oil, just a bit so it doesn’t overpower the salad, but simply enhance its earthy undertones; then fresh chopped rosemary, and balsamic vinegar for acidity, and for the final touch I sprinkled some pine nuts. It all comes together beautifully and it’s a perfectly balanced, super delicious, and substantial salad. Be sure to make plenty, and serve while it’s still warm, as an appetizer, or side to grilled meat.

Happy Friday, and have a fabulous weekend!

5 from 1 vote

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Roased beets and charred onion salad {rosemary, pine nuts + pecorino cheese}

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Roasted beets and charred onion salad - sweet and smoky, earthy and flavorful, with rosemary, pine nuts, Pecorino cheese, and a drizzle of truffle oil - this warm salad is nothing short of spectacular!

Course: Salad

Servings: 3 -4

Calories: 315 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets
• 4 red onions
• 4 tbs olive oil
• a handful of pine nuts
• 1/2 cup of shaved Pecorino cheese
• 2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
• splash of truffle oil
• splash of balsamic vinegar
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F.
2. Scrub the beets clean and peel if you like ( I like to leave the skin on, especially when using organic beets). Slice them in thin rounds (about 5 mm thick).
3. Slice onions in 1/4 inch thick rounds.
4. Arrange beet and onions slices in a single layer, and brush with olive oil on both sides. Season with salt liberally.
5. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or so, and flip them half way through. You want to get a nice char on both onions and beets but do not roast the beets to the point of getting into chips. They should be soft on the inside, and slightly crispy on the outside. The onions should be nicely caramelized with burnt edges.
6. Compose the salad by layering beets and onions, drizzle with truffle oil, balsamic vinegar, and chopped fresh rosemary. Top with pine nuts and shaved Pecorino cheese, and add more salt if needed.