Salads are great year-round and colder seasons call for beautiful root vegetables such as the beet. Paired with leek, walnut, and the piquancy of the Tamarind dressing, it’s a symphony of flavors.

Beet, Leek, and Walnut Salad Ingredients

Serves: 6

For the Salad

4 medium beets, trimmed
4 medium leeks, trimmed and cut into 4-inch pieces
1 cup arugula leaves
¼ cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
⅓ cup pomegranate seeds (optional)

For the Tamarind Dressing

1 Tbsp. tamarind pulp or paste
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. chili flakes
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. regular balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Begin by roasting the beets. Preheat an oven to 425°F. Scrub the beets, wrap in foil, and roast for 45 to 70 minutes or until they are fork-tender. Set aside to cool.

2. Once the beets are cool, peel and cut into bite-sized wedges. Transfer to a bowl.

3. To cook the leeks, place in a medium saucepan with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the leeks are just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water, then cut into smaller pieces and transfer to another bowl.

4. Meanwhile, soak the tamarind pulp or paste in ¼ cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid.

5. To make the dressing, combine the walnuts, garlic, chili flakes, vinegar, oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved tamarind water, and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature to combine the flavors.

6. Gently toss the beets with half of the dressing and the leeks with the remaining dressing.

7. To serve, place some of the arugula onto serving plates, top with a few beets, followed by more arugula and some leeks, and then a few more beets and some more leeks. Scatter the fresh parsley or cilantro over top and garnish with pomegranate seeds for an extra special burst of fresh flavor.

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This beautiful beet, leek, and walnut salad with homemade tamarind dressing is brought to you by our culinary medicine team. Find more healthy recipes here, browse our Pinterest boards, or join us on Tuesday evenings for our virtual cooking classes!