Recipe: Beet “Ambrosia”

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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published May 30, 2017
summer
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Credit: Joe Lingeman
This savory salad of roasted beets, grapes, and pistachios with a whipped cream and goat cheese dressing will surprise even beet haters.

Serves4 to 6

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

You know what I love? Being surprised by a familiar ingredient or an old recipe. This beet ambrosia does both. Ambrosia is typically a sweet fruit salad studded with marshmallows and chopped nuts, dressed with a sweet, creamy dressing. Beet ambrosia takes its visual cues from traditional ambrosia, but is decidedly savory.

A bite of this beet ambrosia is like a bite of the classic beet and goat cheese salad, but easier to eat. The beets are tender and soaked with a vinaigrette, but sweet grapes and salty pistachios keep the salad in balance. The dressing is rich and herby, with a whipped texture and a tanginess, thanks to goat cheese.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

This beet ambrosia is an easy weeknight side dish or pretty potluck dish, especially if you use pre-cooked or leftover roasted beets. Chopping the beets and grapes into bite-sized pieces not only makes this salad prettier, but it also makes it easier to eat.

Whipped Cream Dressing

The heavy cream for this ambrosia’s dressing is whipped and seasoned with just a bit of mustard and salt and pepper. It’s important to avoid over-whipping the dressing and over-stirring the finished salad, so gently fold the two together to keep it light. Make this dressing the day you plan to serve it, as the dressing will deflate after an overnight stint in the fridge.

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Beet "Ambrosia"

This savory salad of roasted beets, grapes, and pistachios with a whipped cream and goat cheese dressing will surprise even beet haters.

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the ambrosia:

  • 1 pound

    roasted beets, peeled and cubed

  • 1 cup

    halved seedless red grapes

  • 1/2 cup

    coarsely chopped shelled, salted, roasted pistachios

  • 1/4 cup

    loosely packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (6 leaves)

  • 1 teaspoon

    balsamic vinegar

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup

    heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon

    Dijon mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 ounces

    crumbled fresh goat cheese

Instructions

  1. Place the beets, grapes, pistachios, and mint in a large bowl; season with the vinegar, salt, and pepper; and gently toss to combine.

  2. In a medium bowl, whip the cream to medium peaks. Fold in the mustard and salt and season with pepper. Add the whipped cream to the bowl with the beets, but don't stir yet. Top with the goat cheese crumbles. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the beets until well-coated. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

  • Roasting beets: Here's our favorite way to roast beets in the oven. Some stores sell precooked beets in the produce section.
  • Storage: Leftover ambrosia can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
Filed in:
Cheese
dinner
easy
Gluten-Free
herbs
Lunch