Beets are one of those foods most people either love or hate, their pungent, earthy flavor being an acquired taste to some when raw. But pickled or roasted as the Eastern Europeans do and paired with flavorful ingredients they can dazzle taste buds.
Personally I love them, particularly the way my Hungarian grandmother prepared them. Her specialty was pickling beets with eggs every year for Easter celebrations and that special combination most certainly remains a taste of childhood.
Although she most likely retrieved mature beets from her root cellar and pickled them in brine using traditional pickling methods, my mother discovered a simpler route which turns out to be equally satisfying.
My mother uses several cans of small beets as the basis for her side dish, draining the juice for use as the pickling medium. To the juice she combines vinegar and sugar with a few spices. Then she returns the whole beets along with peeled whole hard-boiled eggs to the “brine” and allows the ingredients to seep for day or two in the refrigerator. The beets and eggs, which are symbol of new life and the Easter resurrection, are served topped with a dollop of horseradish.
Since everyone needs to put his or her stamp on traditional recipes, I decided to use the pretty and colorful pickled beets and eggs as accents to a spring salad made with arugula. The peppery flavor of the arugula along with salty crumbled feta cheese compliments the tangy and sweet beets. A topping of creamy Dijon dressing makes a perfect pairing.
Pickled Beet Salad with Arugula and Feta
Ingredients:
2 16 oz cans of small beets
½ cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
Several hard boiled eggs peeled
1 5-0z container of baby arugula
½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
Pickling liquid:
Juice from canned beets
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp ground pepper
Preparation:
Drain beet liquid into a small saucepan. Reserve beets in a mason jar. Heat beet juice and whisk in vinegar and sugar till sugar is dissolved. Take off heat and cool completely, ~ 1 hour
Add peeled hardboiled eggs to beets in jar and pour cooled pickling liquid over them. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
For salad dressing, combine oil, vinegar, mustard and pepper, whisking till smooth.
For salad, arrange arugula and feta cheese in a bowl. On a clean plate slice the eggs, being sure to wipe the knife clean between cuts or the pickling liquid will smear the yolks. Arrange beets atop greens. Top with dressing, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add egg slices.
My friends at Sunday Supper Movement have turned out with their favorite Easter side dishes which also are tasty and delicious. Have a look.
Easy Easter Side Dishes
Enticingly Easy Sides
- Cauliflower Cheese Casserole by Sunday Supper
- Cheesy Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Classic Oven-Baked Cheesy Potatoes by My Fearless Kitchen
- Mushroom Couscous by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Nana’s Corn Pudding by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan by Cooking Chat
- Buttered Rosemary Dinner Rolls by From the Bookshelf
- Skillet Green Beans with Citrus by Gourmet Everyday
- Tallow Roasted Vegetables by Pies and Plots
- Vegan and Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Scrumptious Salad Sides
- Asparagus Salad with Pea Shoots and Pancetta by Caroline’s Cooking
- Easy Spinach Salad with Bacon, Eggs and Tomatoes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Mustard and Egg Potato Salad by Palatable Pastime
- Pickled Beet Salad with Arugula and Feta by Delaware Girl Eats
- Springtime Pasta Salad by Tara’s Multicultural Table
