Beet Salad I & II

This is a Moroccan-style beet salad that swaps the usual goat cheese-and-balsamic American treatment for a North African pantry: cinnamon, lemon, and a whisper of sugar. The first version keeps it simple. The second adds orange flower water, cumin, and paprika for a more aromatic, layered take that’s right at home on a mezze platter.

Leaving an inch and a half of stalk attached during boiling is a small detail that pays off. It locks the beets’ color in so they don’t bleed pink water around the pot, and it keeps the natural sweetness from leaching out. Slip the skins off only after the cooking water cools, or you’ll burn your fingers and lose half the flesh underneath.

A full hour of marinating is what turns this from “boiled beets with dressing” into a proper salad. The acid softens the texture slightly while the cinnamon and oil meld into something quietly complex.

Chef Tips

• Choose beets of similar size so they cook evenly. Mixed sizes mean some are mushy while others are still firm.
• Save the cooking water if you’ve added salt. It makes a deeply colored borscht base or a magenta rice cooking liquid.
• Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. The whole salad pivots on its brightness.
• Add a pinch of flaky salt right before serving for a textural pop on the soft beets.

Variations

• For Salad II, the orange flower water turns this floral and fragrant. Even ⅛ teaspoon of cumin makes a real difference.
• Crumble in feta or fresh goat cheese for a protein-rich lunch version.
• Toss with toasted walnuts or pistachios for crunch.