Easy salad with beets, broccoli, tomatoes, walnuts & baby spinach; fresh and tangy, it’s also nutrient-packed and filling… and it’s so very beautiful to look at too! What else could you possibly need with this, other than maybe a soup or sandwich?
It’s so much fun to create interesting salads from whatever is at hand…. Who really wants to run to the store when your tummy is growling…. just to get a “must have” ingredient for some recipe?!
I’d say, just ditch that recipe for now…. scrounge around in your fridge and pantry instead….. and Voila! Inspiration will surely hit! That’s exactly how this salad came into being….
I had never before paired beets, broccoli and spinach in a salad … But hey, I found all three in my fridge, so that’s what I was going to do! In fact, I actually had some cooked and peeled beets already, conveniently stashed away for just a recipe!
Once I’d decided on the main ingredients, the rest of the ideas came…. fast and furious! The walnuts, the balsamic vinegar, the grape tomatoes…. As for the Parmesan cheese… of course, I had to have that!
This salad, first made on the fly from whatever I had on hand that day, has now become one of my “planned” salads to make… I make it rather frequently, perhaps because I often do have all the ingredients I need!
Beets, Broccoli, Spinach, Tomatoes…. pretty, tasty and so nutritious!
The beauty of the contrasting colors and textures of this salad is what you see first… but that’s just on the outside…. What’s on the inside?
Absolutely delightful flavors, for starters…. and a truckload of nutrients to boot! Loaded with vitamins, essential minerals, phytonutrients galore, this salad supports the healthy functioning of pretty much ALL your organs!
Lycopene and Vitamin C from tomatoes, iron, calcium, Vitamin A from the spinach, glucosinolates and more Vitamin C from the broccoli, the pretty pink betalains from beets, the protein and good fats from the walnuts…. this is just a short list!
Check the nutrition information and you’ll quickly see why this delicious salad is good for you. So… chomp away and enjoy!
More salad recipes…
Are you a salad lover, always on the lookout for a novel, tasty and healthy salad recipe? Here are some that you might enjoy trying…
- Beetroot Koshimbir – Maharashtrian salad with beets, tomatoes and crushed peanuts
- Blackbeans and Apple Salad – with the creaminess of beans and the sweet crunch of apples
- Turnip Carrot Slaw – pair turnips and carrots in this creamy, nutty and spicy slaw
- Egg-Free Potato Salad – creamy potatoes… just hits the spot!
- Sprouted Lentil Salad – middle-Eastern style, with carrots, tomatoes and pickled radish
- Rainbow Chard Stalks Salad – colorful chard stalks, with tomatoes and peanuts
Hope you enjoy making and eating some of these tasty and nutritious salads, from a variety of culinary traditions. Do leave a review and star rating …. I’d love to get your feedback!
Special Diets
This easy beets and broccoli salad is vegetarian, gluten-free and soy-free. I have given several suggestions for making it vegan…. Basically, I suggest swapping out the Parmesan cheese with a plant-based option – see Recipe Notes for details. As for replacing the walnuts to make it nut-free, you can always go to the trusty old pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
This salad also has no onions or garlic, in case you prefer to avoid these ingredients. The optional add-in items I’ve listed should give you an idea of how very flexible this recipe is… Just go with your instincts as you poke around your refrigerator and pantry… I’m sure you will find other things you might want to add to this salad too. So… Do it!
Make this delightfully refreshing salad to pair with any meal, from any type of cuisine…. It always looks so very beautiful and it’s always a hit! Do leave a review and star rating…… Many thanks!
Enjoy!
Easy Beets and Broccoli Salad, with Baby Spinach
Equipment
- Microwave oven preferred for cooking beet and broccoli; If not available, see Recipe Notes for alternate cooking directions using a steamer pan for beets and a skillet for broccoli.
- Microwave safe glass/ceramic bowl I do NOT recommend using a plastic bowl for cooking the beet in the microwave.
- Pressure cooker – optional you can cook beets in the pressure cooker if you don't have a microwave: directions are included in the main recipe.
- Stainless steel bowl/small plate that fits inside the pressure cooker / steamer if using pressure cooker or steamer for cooking beet
- Sturdy tongs if using pressure cooker or steamer for cooking beet
- Heavy bottom, 8 inch (20 cm) frying pan/skillet If cooking broccoli on the stove-top
Ingredients
- 2 cups Baby Spinach – about a big fistful (20 g) – rough chopped rinse thoroughly and spin-dry (or towel-dry) to remove excess moisture
- 1/2 cup Beets – cooked, peeled and diced medium – about 80 g 1 medium beet; I prefer red beet; but any variety is fine
- 1 cup Broccoli – cut into small bite-sized florets – about 75g Measure the raw broccoli
- 5 whole Red Grape/Cherry Tomatoes – halved lengthwise if not available, use 1/4 cup of any variety of red ripe tomato, diced medium
- 2 tbsp Walnuts – shelled and broken up into small pieces about 2 raw walnut halves; if you like, substitute with shelled pistachios; for nut-free salad, use pumpkin/squash seeds or sunflower seeds;
- 1 tsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil preferred; if not available, use any mild-flavored, high quality oil.
- 1/8 tsp Salt – divide into 2 equal portions adjust later as per taste preference – you may need to add up to 1/8 tsp more
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper – divide into 2 equal portions freshly crushed preferred
Serve on the side
- 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese – finely shredded if not available, See Recipe Notes for alternatives and also for vegan options
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar if not available, use Apple Cider vinegar, Raspberry vinegar or Rice Vinegar; white or red wine vinegar, lime/lemon juice is OK too
Optional Ingredients – Serve on the side
- 1 tsp Dried Basil leaves if fresh basil is available, use 6-7 medium sized leaves with the stem, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate Arils – the juicy "seeds" for a juicy sweet-sour 'pop' that looks pretty too
- 1/4 cup Raspberries for a juicy sweet-sour 'pop' that looks pretty too
Instructions
Cook the beets
- Wash the beet, cut in half and cook until tender, using the microwave or pressure cooker. If neither is available, see Recipe Notes for cooking the beet in a steamer pan. Note: I do NOT recommend cooking the beet in boiling water, because a lot of nutrients will leach into the cooking water while doing so. You could certainly use this cooking water in another way, but the beet pieces you add to the salad will be significantly depleted of nutrientsMicrowave: Place the beet, cut side down, in a glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tbsp water. Cover and microwave: first on Hi, for 20 seconds, then on low power (30-40% power) for 6-7 min. Check for "done-ness" by inserting a knife: it should easily pierce and go through the beet. If it does not, continue to cook on low power for up to 3-4 min, until beet is soft-cooked (but not mushy) when tested with knife. Remove from the microwave and set aside, covered, to cool. the beet continues to cook as it slowly cools to room temperature.Pressure cooker : Stove-top cooker or Instant PotPlace beet in a small stainless steel bowl or pressure cooker insert container. Add 2 tbsp water and set aside while preparing the pressure cooker for pot-in-pot cooking.Place a trivet/rack in the pressure cooker pot and add 1 1/2 -2 cups water. Set the bowl with the beet on the rack. Close the lid and cook at full pressure for 10 min. Wait for natural pressure release to open the lid – the beet continues to cook during this time.If pressure is not fully released by 10-12 min, you may force release the residual pressure. Carefully remove the bowl from the cooker – it's HOT! I highly recommend using sturdy tongs to do this. Set aside, uncovered, to cool.
Prep remaining ingredients
- While the beet cooks, you can start prepping everything else.Place a big fistful of baby spinach in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cool water. I recommend doing this even with bagged spinach that says, "Triple-washed, Ready to serve"There have been several outbreaks of food poisoning in recent years – some have been traced to contaminated bagged greens that were consumed raw – so please wash those greens yet again!
- If you have a salad spinner, dry the washed spinach in the spinner.
- Otherwise, spread out the leaves on a clean dry kitchen towel fr a few minutes, to absorb excess moisture.
- Gather up the dried spinach and rough chop the leaves.
- Wash the broccoli in a colander; then cut it into small bite-sized florets. Cut the stems a bit smaller than the florets.
- Place the broccoli pieces in a microwave-safe glass/ceramic bowl; sprinkle with 1/16 tsp each of salt and black pepper. Toss and microwave on Hi for 30 seconds. Note: If microwave is not available, See Recipe Notes for cooking on the stove-top.
- Remove from microwave and set aside to cool. the broccoli will be bright green and slightly softened – note that the volume decreases slightly during cooking.Transfer to a stainless steel plate and spread it out for quick cooling: the metal quickly absorbs the heat from the broccoli. Should you put the broccoli on ice to cool it faster? I find that there is no real need to do that – dealing with the ice gets kind of messy, so I just let it cool on a metal plate instead.
- Wash and cut the grape/cherry tomatoes in half, lengthwise from the stem end.
- Break up or rough chop the walnuts into small pieces.
Peel and dice the cooked beet
- By this time, the beet should have cooled to room temperature. Gently rub the skin of the cooked beet – it should peel off quite easily. If, for some reason it doesn't, it's OK, just use a peeler.
- See how smooth and glossy it is when the peel is gently rubbed off with your fingers. If you have to use a peeler, it will not look smooth and glossy like this, but that's OK.
- Dice the peeled beet into small-medium bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the salad
- Arrange the spinach in the serving bowl/platter.
- Start layering the other ingredients on top, distributing them evenly all over: first the broccoli, then the beets.
- Add the chopped walnuts, then arrange the halved tomatoes as you wish.
- Sprinkle a little bit of the Parmesan over the assembled salad. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar all over the salad; then add the olive oil – since you're only adding 1 tsp, try to add it drop-wise, for even distribution everywhere.Sprinkle the remaining 1/16 tsp each of salt and pepper evenly over the salad. Don't toss the salad!Serve the remaining shredded Parmesan, extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar, along with basil (if using) and other optional toppings on the side.Enjoy!
Notes
Parmesan Cheese not available?
Try one of the following options… Dairy options:- Romano Cheese – finely shredded
- Asiago Cheese – finely shredded
- Pizza Cheese blend – finely shredded
- Feta Cheese crumbles
- Paneer crumbles – gently toss with salt before using
- Plant-based Parmesan or other cheese variety you like
- Tofu crumbles
- use firm tofu – a small piece… about 2 tbsp
- sprinkle with salt and a few drops of lime/lemon juice
- then gently crumble with your fingers –
- the salt and lime/lemon juice gets distributed as you do this
No microwave or pressure cooker for cooking the beet?
That’s fine, you can cook the beet in a steamer pan, but be sure to plan for a longer cooking time: about 20-25 min Don’t have a steamer pan? If you don’t have a steamer pan, no worries… You can ‘create’ one with common kitchenware, as described below:- Place a trivet/small cooling rack inside a large pot with a well-fitting lid.
- Find a small bowl – I recommend using a stainless steel bowl – that is large enough to hold the beet, but small enough to be placed on the trivet/cooling rack inside the large pot
- Add about 1 1/2 cups of water, cover with the lid and start heating to bring the water to a boil.
- This is your make-shift steamer pan!
- Prepare the steamer pan for steaming:
- add 1/1/2 -2 cups of water in the steamer pot,
- position the steamer tray and cover.
- Heat the pan on high: when you see steady steam coming out, it’s ready for steaming the beet.
- Steam the beet:
- Place the beet in a small heat-safe bowl – I recommend using a stainless steel bowl
- Set the bowl in the steamer tray.
- Cover and steam on high heat for 20-25 min.
- Check for done-ness after 20 min
- Insert the tip of a knife: it should easily pierce and go through the beet.
- If it does not, continue to steam for 5-7 min, until beet is soft-cooked (but not mushy) when tested with knife.
- Carefully remove from the steamer – it’s HOT!
- Use sturdy tongs
- Use sturdy tongs
- Set aside, uncovered, to cool.
- Insert the tip of a knife: it should easily pierce and go through the beet.
- Continue as directed in the main recipe.
To Cook Broccoli on Stovetop
- Heat 2 tbsp water in a small skillet/frying pan
- Add the cut-up broccoli florets and stems, sprinkle with 1/16 tsp each salt and pepper
- Splash some water on top – don’t stir;
- Cover and cook for 3-4 min on low heat.
- Turn heat off: leave the cover on for 1-2 min
- Stir the cooked broccoli and transfer to a metal plate
- Place the plate on ice to cool it fast and retain is deepened green color
Storing Leftovers
- Store leftovers in a well-lidded container in the refrigerator.
- Consume within 1-2 days
- the spinach has a tendency to start rotting very quickly.
- Remove any spoiled spinach leaves before serving leftover refrigerated salad.
- Consume within 1-2 days
- I do NOT recommend freezing this salad – it is quite unpalatable upon thawing.
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