SUMAC BEET ARUGULA SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE

The addition of this classic Mediterranean spice turns your favorite fall veggie into a summer staple. A quick, unforgettable summer salad so good you won’t want to share… 

Here in FOP land, we are always looking for any excuse to add more beets into our recipes. Most people consider beets a fall staple, in our minds here we want to eat it all year long.

While I normally stick to dairy free recipes, I have slowly incorporating raw cheese and goat cheese into my diet and have been doing great. I try to make the cheese a garnish not a main ingredient and use tons of fruits and veggies as the base.

This simple salad is all about the sumac, a sweet yet somewhat fiery smelling spice made out of dried berries which give this spice its beautiful, chic red color. The citrusy like taste makes sumac a perfect summer staple. If you want to transport yourself to the Mediterranean this summer, this recipe is your one-way ticket there.

Best part you will be traveling in style

INGREDIENTS

8 cups of beets, I used golden and purple beets here, find whatever is freshest, cut your beets into thick slices

2 cups of arugula

2 tablespoons of fresh oregano leaves

5 oz of fresh goat milk, crumbled

lemon zest for topping the salad

olive oil

sumac

salt + pepper to taste

lemon juice

DIRECTIONS FOR THIS SALAD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl combine the beets, sumac, salt + pepper, and some olive oil. I used about 2-3 tablespoons sometimes more if I feel the beets are too dry.

Then place on a cookie sheet, make sure they are all flat and not on top of each other.

Roasted for about 15 minutes and then turn around and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Until the beets are tender.

In a small bowl or mason jar combine some lemon juice, olive oil, salt + pepper and a pinch of sumac to make the dressing.

In a plate, assemble the salad, arugula, beets, lemon zest and goat cheese.

Add as much dressing as you desire.

Enjoy.