Arugula Salad with Beets

I love salads. Veggies are my favorite food group (well, some of the time, anyway), and I'm a sucker for a well-constructed bowl of greens. I get cravings for my mom's chef salad, Katie Lee Joel's pesto pasta salad, and now Hook's arugula salad with beets. For no particular reason, beets were not part of my culinary vocabulary until last October, when I ate at Hook for my man's birthday and ordered said Hook salad on a whim.

Completely wonderful! Beets have a perfect natural sweetness that contrasts nicely with the subtle spiciness of arugula, and the whole thing is topped off with crumbled goat cheese and a sprinkling of nuts. The flavors are great for any season; just change up the dressing if you get bored with it. I've made this recipe several times, making little adjustments each time (adding cucumber instead of avocado, walnuts instead of almonds), and it just gets better and better!

Don't be afraid to add an ingredient or two to the salad, as long as it doesn't overwhelm the beets. Trust me, they're the standout of this salad.

Salad Recipe (these measurements are approximate, rather than exact):
2 cups arugula
3 beets, sliced*
2 oz. goat cheese
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 avocado, pitted and diced

Place arugula and beets into bowl. Crumble goat cheese over, topping with almonds and avocado. Toss with dressing (recipe following). Enjoy with a slice of challah, or some other delicious thick-sliced bread, if you've got it lying around.

Honey-Beet Juice Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Leftover beet juice (see note)
1 Tbsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a clean jar, cover with lid, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Voila! Top salad with desired amount, and save the rest (if any) for another salad, or sandwich.

*I get beets already cooked and peeled vacuum-sealed with some of their juices. Don't toss the juice! It's a great addition to the dressing, if only for the gorgeous pink color.