Easily eat the rainbow with this delicious and nutritious beet and tomato salad recipe.
Beet Tomato and Cilantro Salad
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients
- 3 small roasted Chioggia and/or Golden Beets
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub beets and seal in foil. Roast on a baking sheet for about 1 hr 15 mins or until tender. Remove and let cool.
- Step Two: Rub beets with a towel to remove skins and then thinly slice and add to platter or bowl.
- Step Three: Halve cherry tomatoes and add to the platter.
- Step Four: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad.
- Step Five: Sprinkle feta and sunflower seeds on top. Top with fresh cilantro and serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grow beets and tomatoes in a Rise Garden for this salad recipe?
Yes — both rainbow beets including golden Touchstone and Chioggia candy cane varieties, as well as compact cherry tomatoes, grow beautifully in the Rise Garden system — a hydroponic growing platform (a method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water solutions) that lets you cultivate fresh ingredients right in your home. Growing them together gives you complete control over the salad's ingredients from root to table. Freshly harvested beets have a sweeter, more nuanced flavor than store-bought, and homegrown cherry tomatoes carry an intensity that supermarket tomatoes rarely achieve. According to the USDA, hydroponically grown produce can contain up to 50% more vitamins and minerals than conventionally grown store-bought equivalents, making your homegrown salad as nutritious as it is delicious. Combining both from your own garden in a salad is one of the most satisfying expressions of what home hydroponic growing makes possible.
What is the best way to prepare beets for a fresh salad?
For a raw beet salad, peel beets and slice them paper-thin using a mandoline or sharp knife to create delicate, translucent slices that are tender rather than tough. Alternatively, roast beets wrapped in foil at 400F (200C) for 45 minutes, then cool and slice, as roasting caramelizes the natural sugars and creates a deeper, sweeter flavor profile that contrasts beautifully with the acidity of tomatoes and brightness of fresh cilantro. Both preparations work wonderfully in a beet-tomato salad; the choice depends on whether you prefer the crisp freshness of raw beets or the earthy warmth of roasted ones.
How do you use fresh cilantro from a Rise Garden in a beet and tomato salad?
Fresh cilantro — an herb in the Apiaceae family prized for its bright, citrusy flavor — adds a herbaceousness that lifts the earthy sweetness of beets and complements the acidity of tomatoes in a way that dried cilantro simply cannot. Research from Cornell University's Center for Controlled Environment Agriculture has shown that hydroponically grown herbs like cilantro can reach harvest maturity in as little as 21–28 days, meaning you can have a steady, fresh supply ready whenever this salad calls for it. Tear or roughly chop fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems just before serving and scatter generously over the salad, then dress with a simple lime vinaigrette that amplifies the herb's natural citrus notes. You can start your own cilantro easily using seed pods designed specifically for the Rise Gardens system. If you are cooking for guests who may not love cilantro's distinctive flavor, fresh flat-leaf parsley or mint make beautiful alternatives.
What other herbs work well in beet and tomato salads?
Beyond cilantro, fresh mint adds a cooling, refreshing contrast to the earthy warmth of beets, a combination popular in Middle Eastern and North African salads. Fresh basil, particularly the Genovese variety, pairs classically with tomatoes and works beautifully in a beet caprese variation with fresh mozzarella and aged balsamic. Chives and tarragon are more delicate choices that complement the salad's flavors without overpowering them, and all of these options are easily grown in a Rise Garden to have on hand whenever inspiration strikes. Because hydroponic systems use up to 95% less water than traditional soil gardening, you can feel good about growing a wide variety of herbs at home year-round.
