Katherine Wants: Tuscan Bitter Greens Salad with Roasted Beets, Toasted Almonds & Oranges #salad

This Tuscan Bitter Greens Salad with Roasted Beets, Toasted Almonds and Oranges will have you falling in love with beets and oranges in your salads again!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes (for roasting beets)
Special Tools: Baking sheet, small skillet

Ingredients:
For the Salad:
1 small head escarole, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch Tuscan kale (lacinato), stems removed, chopped rough
1 small head red radicchio, torn into pieces
3 medium red beets, scrubbed clean
½ cup whole almonds, unsalted
1 tbsp olive oil (for beets)
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the Dressing:
1 orange segmented and juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Kosher salt to taste

For Garnish:
¼ cup Pecorino Romano, shaved or grated

Method:
1. Roast the Beets: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Rub beets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap ‘em tight in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until a knife slides in easily. Let cool slightly, peel (the skins slip right off), and dice into bite-sized chunks.

2. Toast the Almonds: Heat a small skillet over medium heat—no oil needed. Toss in the almonds and toast for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan often, until golden and fragrant. Remove, let cool, and rough-chop ‘em.

3. Mix the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk orange zest, juice, Dijon, sherry vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking hard to emulsify it into a smooth, punchy dressing. Taste and tweak with more salt if it needs a kick.

4. Build the Salad: In a big bowl, toss escarole, kale, and radicchio with half the dressing—get your hands in there to really coat those greens. Add the diced beets and toasted almonds, then drizzle the rest of the dressing.

5. Finish with Flair: Plate it up, scatter Pecorino shavings over each serving, and crack some extra pepper for good measure. Serve with a wink and maybe a chilled rosé on the side.