30 min
| Serves 4 |
225 calories per serving
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups cooked beets, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium Haas avocado, chilled
- 1 large yellow zucchini
- 4 ounces goat cheese, chilled
- 2 – 3 sprigs fresh basil (about 1 ounce), stems removed
- 3 ounces ready-to-eat mesclun or spring mix
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 small shallot, about 2 tablespoons, peeled and minced
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
Prepare salad ingredients: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Rinse the zucchini, pat dry and slice into pieces a little over a quarter inch thick. Transfer the zucchini to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until just golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside. Peel and slice the avocados along the width of the fruit (see photo, below) creating 12 or more rounds, each about 1/4 inch thick. (Note, chilling the avocado in the fridge creates firm slices that are easier to handle and arrange.) Slice the goat cheese into 8 pieces. Rinse the basil, pat dry and tear the leaves into roughly 1 inch pieces.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange juice and minced shallot until well combined. Add the oil in a thin stream and continue whisking until the ingredients are emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad: Transfer the mesclun or spring mix to a salad bowl and toss with a light coating of the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste, toss again and set aside. Divide the avocado, beets, zucchini and goat cheese between four plates, layering the ingredients in a single row. (As an alternative, the layered ingredients can be arranged on a single serving plate.) Tuck basil leaves between several of the layers. Arrange the mesclun or spring mix around the layered ingredients and drizzle additional dressing on the salad. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve, and enjoy!
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