Roasted Beet, Avocado, and Watercress Salad

This dish features holiday colors and a variety of textures, from crisp watercress and crunchy pecans to juicy oranges and buttery avocados. To make the most of the presentation, use a combination of red and yellow beets. You can prepare the beets and dressing in advance, then just assemble the salad before serving.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup watercress, 1/3 cup beets, 1/4 cup orange sections, 2 slices avocado, 3/4 teaspoon pecans, and 1 tablespoon dressing)

Ingredients

• 6  large red or yellow beets (about 4 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4  cup  water
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  finely grated orange rind
• 1/3  cup  fresh orange juice
• 3  tablespoons  extravirgin olive oil
• 2 1/4  tablespoons  sherry vinegar
• 3/4  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  large avocado, peeled
• 3  bunches watercress (about 9 cups trimmed)
• 3  cups  orange sections (about 3 large navel oranges)
• 3/4  cup  vertically sliced red onion
• 3  tablespoons  chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove root and 1 inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Cut beets in half; place beets in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Add water. Cover with foil, and bake at 375° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool; rub off skins. Cut beets into 1/2-inch slices.

Combine rind and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Toss half of juice mixture with beets.

Cut avocado in half lengthwise. Slice each half into 12 slices. Place watercress on a platter; top with beets, orange sections, onion, and avocado. Drizzle remaining juice mixture over salad, and top with pecans. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

168 (41% from fat)

Fat:

7.7g (sat 1.1g,mono 5.1g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

4g

Carbohydrate:

24g

Fiber:

5.2g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

1.6mg

Sodium:

232mg

Calcium:

66mg