Beet Salad with Blue Cheese, Candied Pecans & Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 26oz Jar Safie Sweet Pickled Beets or Safie Organic Sweet Pickled Beets
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly-ground Black Pepper
• 10 Ounces Mixed Salad Greens and/or Baby Arugula
• 3 Heads Belgian Endive Lettuce
• 1 Medium-Sized Sweet Onion
• 1 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
• 1 Cup Pecan Halves
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing of your choice

Directions

1. Prep Time

   Drain the juice from the jar of Safie Sweet Pickled Beets. Cut the beets into halves or smaller. In a bowl, mix the beets with 1/4 cup of Olive Oil and 1/2  teaspoon of Sea Salt until well coated and set aside.

   To prepare the Candied Pecans, melt 4 tablespoons of Butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup of Pecan Halves and stir until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of Light Brown Sugar and continue to stir for 1 minute, making sure the nuts are fully coated. Transfer the mixture to wax paper (or lightly greased aluminum foil) until cool. Once cooled, the Pecan Halves can be broken into smaller pieces if desired.

   Prepare the Sweet Onion by thinly chopping or slicing into rounds. To form the base of the salad, slice the Belgian Endives on a 1/4 inch diagonal. For interesting shapes, slice the head on a sharp diagonal and turn as you go. Stop cutting when you reach the tiniest leaves. The bottom core should be discarded. Once chopped, Endive will rapidly discolor, so serve as soon as possible.

   In a large bowl, toss all of the Mixed Salad Greens, Endive, Onion and about half of the Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (you just need enough to lightly coat each leaf). Divide the greens evenly among 4 plates. Place the cut beets on top of the dressed greens, dividing them evenly among the 4 plates. Sprinkle the top of each salad with the Blue Cheese crumbles and the Candied Pecans. If desired, add freshly-ground Black Pepper to taste.

   Serve the salads immediately and enjoy! If you’re looking for dinner ideas, this Beet Salad with Blue Cheese, Candied Pecans & Balsamic Vinaigrette pairs well with fish and roasted beef or chicken for a complete meal.