Stacked Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots & Herb-Infused Oil

By Amanda Paa – Updated May 10, 2020

I always knew that vacation was good for the soul, but its timing couldn’t have been better. California certainly welcomed me, and for 7 days I was surrounded by love and compassion, engaging conversations, and activities that make my heart happy.

Beautiful Beets ~ via heartbeet kitchen blogFirst I flew to Los Angeles to see Kelli, the friend I can always count on no matter how many miles we’re apart. We first connected over food while she lived here, and there is still nothing else that compares to sharing the kitchen with her, then watching her effortlessly create the most wonderful dinner party – the kind with twinkly lights, a fresh tablecloth, fancy glasses and food that satisfies.

Stacked Beet Salad with Herb-Infused Oil & Crispy Green GarlicStacked Beet Salad with Herb-Infused OilDuring my stay we embraced the sun with breakfast on the patio, several walks around her cute Burbank neighborhood, and a subway adventure to Grand Central Market. What a wonderful place, a curious food lover’s dream for sure. If I lived there, you can bet this $3.50 plate of juicy carnitas with those perfect crispy bits would be a weekly occurrence.

Stacked Beet Salad with Herb-Infused Oil & Crispy Shallots {paleo, vegan}Basil & Tarragon Infused OilFrom there I made my way to San Francisco to stay with Sarah and Alanna, whom I consider some of my best pals, even though we’d yet to meet in person. That’s the beauty of blogging, something that I’m grateful for more and more each day.

Stacked Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots & Herb-Infused OilThe connected spirits, the shared stories, the ups and downs of life – that’s what you’ll find when you read an authentic blog.

Part of my master plan is to travel around the country to meet a number of other virtual lady friends, to see them in their own element and deepen our bond.

Stacked Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots & Herb-Infused Oil

We spent several days cooking, photographing, laughing and eating. Alanna invited us to her humble abode for dinner, putting me in charge of a spatchcocked chicken (yes, I was nervous) while they prepared a rutabaga, parsnip, and rosemary mash plus a wonderful salad.

The food was great, ending with berries and whipped coconut cream, but the conversation and memories made were the best.

Stacked Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots + Herb-Infused Oil {paleo, vegan}The next day Sarah and I nibbled our way through every aisle of Monterey Market, another food lover’s mecca, with dozens of fruits and vegetables I rarely see in Minnesota.

Suddenly we were plotting this gorgeous Stacked Beet Salad, churning out ideas a mile a minute. The concept would be simple, the presentation letting each layer unfold as its own.

Stacked Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots & Herb-Infused Oil {paleo, AIP, vegan}Warm roasted beets would be sliced and stacked, the perfect sponge for our basil and tarragon infused oil we planned to make. To play off the sweetness of the red and gold rounds, a bit of peppery arugula would separate the layers.

And then for the grand finale, shallots and green garlic would be fried until crispy, the salty caramelization adding one more dimension.

Stacked Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots + Herb-Infused Oil ~ heartbeet kitchen & snixy kitchen collaborationCreating this salad with Sarah, learning from her as we shot (this girl is incredibly talented), and enjoying the fruits of our labor was pure joy. The salad turned out even better than we imagined, just simple food prepared in a unique way. You’ll find the recipe for the salad base below, and the herb-infused oil on Sarah’s blog so hop on over!

And guess what else? During the trip there was only one day that I didn’t feel well. A testament to what a calm mind can do. I practiced letting go of the “should be doing” attitude, and embraced self-care. Its effect was powerful. I realize it’s something that must be incorporated into my daily life for me to be healthy again, and proof that food alone is not the answer.

Stacked Beet Salad with Crispy Shallots & Herb-Infused Oil {AIP, paleo, vegan}

serves 4

one bunch of red beets, stems & leaves removed (about 3)
one bunch of gold beets, stems & leaves removed (about 3)
3 ounces of baby arugula
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (or 2 small)
1 piece of green garlic, bulb and stem, thinly sliced (if you can’t find green garlic, use two green onions)
coarse salt for garnish

Herb-Infused Oil recipe on Snixy Kitchen
Prepare the oil and let it steep according to the directions over on Sarah’s beautiful blog!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim beets and steam for 20 minutes, covered. Then wrap the red beets in one piece of foil and the gold beets in another piece of foil. Roast for 35 minutes, until tender. Under cold water, rinse the beets and peel. Then slice the beets 1/8 inch thick into rounds.

While beets are roasting, heat olive oil in skillet to medium high heat. Add shallots & garlic, stirring, and cook for 1 minute. Then add salt and continue to fry until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

On each plate, lay 4-5 beet slices down, overlapping. Then drizzle some of the infused oil (about 2 teaspoons) over them and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Add a small amount of arugula to lightly cover the beets. Cover with 4-5 beet slices of the opposite color, another drizzle of the oil, sprinkle of salt, and a small amount of arugula. For the final layer, add another 4-5 beet slices, then drizzle 1 tablespoon of the infused oil over the stack and top with crispy shallot/garlic mixture. Serve and enjoy.

Beets, oil, and crispy shallot/garlic mixture can all be prepared one day ahead, then assembled the day of.

Did you make this?

tag @heartbeetkitchen on instagram and hashtag it #heartbeetkitchen

June 9, 2015

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38 comments

  1. Leslie

    Hi Amanda,
    I just came from my first trip to the local farmers market. I’ve been on the Paleo AIP for 2 years and trying new things! Today it’s beets which is how I found your site. I’m from Wisconsin so I feel we’re neighbors both living in beautiful states! I shared this recipe and 4 more to G+. I had also bought radishes and I’ve used celeriac in the past. So excited to find new AIP recipes! Look forward to more news on your site!
    Leslie
    PS i love cats, too!

  2. Carla (@charliesue)

    Pretty lady: I was so, so happy that I got a chance to meet you and hang out with you while you were here in CA. I’m so lucky! You’re so lovely and talented. I’m your newest #1 fan. :) xo

    • Amanda Paa

      I was sooooo lucky to meet you! I think you CA girls need a little Minnesota in your life….. maybe a trip needs to be planned :) And I even found an amazing boba tea place here! xo

  3. Faith (An Edible Mosaic)

    What a beautiful salad, made even more so because it was spent with such good friends. Your trip sounds wonderful! If you’re ever in the DC area, please please let me know. ;) xoxo

    • Amanda Paa

      I was in DC at the end of March but had zero time to do anything besides my conference. It seemed like such a great city, and I would love to have you take me around. I’m planning some travels to Virginia in the fall so maybe we could meet up somewhere in between! xo

      • Faith (An Edible Mosaic)

        Yes!!! Whenever you are in the area, let me know and we will make it work. xoxo

  4. kristie {birch and wild}

    This is such a nutritious, elegant salad (and your photos are beautiful here). I can’t wait to make it! And I can’t wait to meet you in person, hopefully, one day. It would be so fun to do a collaboration! Heading over to snixy for the dressing recipe now :)

  5. Steph @ Steph in Thyme

    First, this salad is positively gorgeous – and beautifully simple! Second, I’m so jealous you got to collaborate with Sarah!! If you ever make your way up to Boston, I would love to play in the kitchen with you!

  6. Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog

    I almost never cook with beets because they always stain my hands but I would definitely brave them for this beautiful salad!

  7. Jackie @ supermancooks

    wow! This looks beautiful and mouthwateringly yummy! Our east coast veggies are not quite as colorful yet. This makes me yearn for California. Lovely photos too.

    • Amanda Paa

      The glorious fruits and veggies that are in seasonal all year round in CA make me so jealous! I just bought my first beets here in MN so I’ll be making this again soon, hope you love it too! xo

  8. Crista

    your vacation sounds dreamy :) how fun to meet up with other bloggers (trust me, i know how cool it is! i can’t wait to see you again!)

    also, this recipe – YUM!!! roasting beets is still new to me, i’m gonna…

  9. Traci | Vanilla And Bean

    What a reflective post and glorious trip. I enjoyed reading and am envious of your trip to see the cats at Cat Town Cafe! I love your action on traveling across the country to meet your blogging friends. So much ambition and heart, Amanda. This salad is just gorgeous. I can see how the flavors of each individual component would shine, as they complement one another. Thank you for this!

    • Amanda Paa

      Traci, thanks so much for stopping by. You must head to Oakland to visit the Cat Town Cafe! It’s so peaceful and fun. I am already planning my next trip out east to see a couple of blogger friends in the fall. Where are you located? xo

      • Traci | Vanilla And Bean

        It sounds like a place I’d never want to leave… And you’re already heading back!

        I’m on Whidbey Island, WA :D

  10. Christine

    I adore seeing collaborative posts, it makes me so happy to see how people connect over spaces like these and how true friendships are born! When I was in SF, I met up with Sarah and Alanna for lunch and it was so lovely. I wish we would have been able to cook too, it sounds like you guys had the best time and this salad is gorgeous! Let me know if Canada is in your travel plans, I’d love to plan a visit! xo

  11. Alana

    LOVE THIS COLLABORATION. The words you and Sarah wrote about each other just warmed my heart!! And this salad is AMAZE!!

    • Amanda Paa

      Alana, it means so much that you stopped by – you are an incredible inspiration! I know you’ve met Sarah before too, and she’s just a gem. We had a blast creating together. Have a great week :)

  12. Kelly @ Inspired Edibles

    spatchwho chicken? ;-) I’d be terrified too. Sounds like you ladies all hit it out the park though and you chose well for your featured collaboration too – what a gorgeous salad and the pictures are so lovely. I agree that among the greatest gifts and surprises of this blogging adventure are the virtual friendships that are made. Sometimes, we’re even lucky enough to connect in person. What an enviable time you gals had. Now about that effortless dinner party, could someone (Kelli?) please write a blog post on that for us :)

    • Amanda Paa

      I know, spatchcock has to be the weirdest word ever. The american language is a little crazy! But I love how quickly it cooks the chicken, and gets the skin so crispy. Thank you for all the kind words about the recipe and photos, the light that day was fantastic. I really hope we get to meet in person as well – you’re in California right? I wouldn’t mind making another trip out there, or it would be fun for you to come see the beauty of Minnesota. xo

      • Kelly @ Inspired Edibles

        I would love to meet up sometime — yes, we are about an hour south of SF in the Silicon Valley :)

  13. Sylvie | Gourmande in the Kitchen

    Sounds like the trip was a big success all around!

  14. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits

    So glad you enjoyed your time here in California, and it looks like you cooked up a storm! Gorgeous beet salad!

    • Amanda Paa

      We did! It was so much fun, and delicious. Next time I’m out there I’d love to meet you too Lisa! xo

  15. Tessa | Salted Plains

    Amen to self-care – I’m so glad you had such a wonderful trip. And it sounds like it was great fun hanging and collaborating with those talented ladies! I hope we can meet someday as well. :) This stacked beet salad pretty much sounds like a summer dream salad to me!

  16. Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life

    It sounds like you had a divine holiday. I cannot wait to pick up some beets at the markets this weekend and make this delicious salad for myself! I love Sarah and Alanna’s work, and I’m so glad it lead me to your gorgeous blog :)
    Blogging friends certainly are the best. I am looking forward to meeting some of my closest when I get to the US later this year!

  17. Ella Frances

    I have been anticipating this one!! Can not wait to make it. :)

    • Amanda Paa

      :) can’t wait to see the first beets at the farmers market here! we should go together, make a date of it. xo

  18. Margaret @ Veggie Primer

    I will be picking up an order of beets from my CSA later this week. This looks amazingly delicious! Beautiful photos too! :)

    • Amanda Paa

      My first CSA delivery is scheduled for next week and I’m so hoping there are more beets :) Thanks for stopping by!

  19. Paula

    I love beets so much! And this dish looks so beautiful, I’ll definitely have to give this a try!

  20. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

    This is such a beautiful dish! Beets are one of my favorite foods (I eat them every day!) I actually had this amazing rainbow beet arugula walnut salad in a restaurant in DC a few months ago…it was insane!

  21. jules

    This is my year for beets. I’ve been loving them in so many things and I never used to think I liked them! They are gorgeous in this salad, Amanda! Definitely trying this soon!
    ~jules

  22. Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet

    I am so glad that you had a good time in Cali! It sounds like an incredible trip. Letting go of the “should be doing” attitude is something that all of us should incorporate into our daily lives. Cheers to health, and to this AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL beet salad.

  23. Amanda

    Sounds like an amazing journey, in more ways than one. Your images are simply stunning!

  24. Kathryn

    Reading about your travels and how you’re connecting with other bloggers gives me so much joy. I certainly hope that we can cross paths sometime soon and I can drink in all that inspiration from you. I’m in love with the idea of this salad too – so beautiful.

    • Amanda Paa

      you can bet that you’re on my list Kathryn! i’ve so enjoyed getting to know you virtually the past few years, and i would leap if we got to hang out in real life. plus, traveling across the pond would be a 1st for me. and i think that needs to happen. xo

  25. Sarah @ SnixyKitchen

    Love this! I loved having you here and cooking with you – so much fun! <3