Pink Salad with Agrodolce Beets
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Pink Salad is a deliciously bright mixture of pink or purple-ish salad ingredients that get enhanced into a hot pink hue by the acid in the agrodolce dressing. It's a filling, wholesome salad that is finished with fresh herbs and feta to turn it into the perfect side dish. And if you don't have the exact ingredients to make this pink, don't sweat it. It is still delicious with crunchy vegetables of all sizes and colors!
This Pink Cabbage Salad with Agrodolce Beets is the answer to my call for color, with bright purple cabbage, pinky radishes and the most beautiful beets you ever did see. This salad is literally picture-perfect… I mean, come on. Look at those colors!
What makes this salad so bright and delicious is the agrodolce sauce, that’s what brings this pink salad to life. It’s pure magic and a must!
Agrodolce is an Italian condiment that melts honey or sugar and vinegar together to make the most addicting sweet and sour sauce. It’s pretty acidic, which is why we’re using it for the beautiful candy cane beets in this recipe.
When agrodolce is cooked with the beets, it essentially pickles them. Then, when the sauce and beets are poured over the cabbage and radishes, it slightly pickles them too. This salad is all about the sauce! It’s acidic and sweet, which brings all of these colorful vegetables together in harmony.
Beets (Tian Cai) are known to enter the Liver, Heart, Intestines. They have the actions of nourishing the Blood, tonifying the Heart, calming Shen, lubricating the Intestines, & cleansing the Liver.
In Western Nutrition, Beets are considered to be immune enhancing, nutritious, and full of antioxidants. They are used to benefit eyesight, strengthen immunity, balance blood sugar, reduce tumors, improve metabolism, constipation, and overall cellular growth.
INGREDIENTS
4 small candy cane beets about 1/2 pound
1 small red onion
4 medium watermelon radishes
2 medium breakfast radishes
1 small head of red cabbage
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup a mix of fresh mint and dill
1/2 cup freshly crumbled feta cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the tops off of the beets, halve them lengthwise and thinly slice into medallions. Set aside.
Thinly slice the red onion and add it to a small bowl.
Mandolin (or slice into paper-thin slices) the radishes and cabbage and add to a very large bowl.
Set a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the honey and red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Add the beets and bring this mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer and reduce by half, about 9-11 minutes. Season with a large pinch of salt.
After the mixture has reduced, the beets should be softened. If they are still firm, continue to cook until they are softened. Once the beets are cooked, turn off the heat and add the red onions to the agrodolce. Stir to combine.
Pour this agrodolce dressing over the cabbage and radishes. Mix to coat everything. As this sits, the radishes and cabbage will turn to an even more vibrant pink. Season with a few cracks of black pepper.
Wipe out the pan and add the almonds. Set the pan back over medium heat and toast the almonds for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the slivered almonds to the salad. Tear the mint and dill into rough pieces and sprinkle into the salad. Add the feta cheese and give everything a few big mixes.
Portion into large bowls and serve!
NOTES
You can use any beet of you cannot find candy cane beets, but only candy cane will give you a pink-pink salad. Red beets will make it a darker salad, and orange beets do not do much at all for the color. But they will all be delicious! This recipe uses almonds as a topping, but you can use almost any nut that you prefer! Instead of almonds, use Pistachios, Walnuts, Pine nuts, Sesame seeds, or even pepitas.
photo and recipe credits to Justine Snacks
