Roasted Beet, Onion, & Orange Salad

Deep red beets against jewel-toned orange segments makes one of the best-looking salads you can set on a winter table. The trick is roasting the beets whole and unpeeled so the sugars concentrate and the skins slip off under your fingers once cool enough to handle. Pearl onions join the pan partway through, long enough to turn sweet and tender without collapsing.

The dressing leans into the nutty side of the plate. Hazelnut oil whisked with freshly squeezed orange juice and chopped coriander coats everything without weighing it down. Grated pecorino on top adds a salty, sharp counter to the sugar in the beets and oranges.

Toasted hazelnuts scattered last give the final crunch. Serve while the beets are still slightly warm and the orange slices are cold from the knife. That push and pull of temperatures wakes up every bite.

Pro Tips

• Wear gloves when handling cooked beets, or stain every surface magenta. The color is worth it but unforgiving on light countertops.
• Line the roasting pan with foil for easy cleanup. Beet juice bakes onto bare pans and refuses to come off.
• Seed the oranges as you slice, especially with navels that hide stray pits. No one wants to crunch one at the table.
• Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant, then rub them in a clean tea towel to remove most of the papery skins.

Variations

• Use blood oranges or ruby grapefruit for a more complex citrus edge.
• Swap pecorino for crumbled goat cheese or feta for a creamier, tangier finish.
• Add a handful of peppery arugula or watercress underneath to turn it into a more substantial starter salad.