Beet-Feta Salad with Garlicky Crispy Walnuts

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 medium to large beets

  3 to 4 inches across
• 1 cup water for the Instant Pot
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

  I like Trader Joe's
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic

  pressed
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon or small sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme (optional, but delicious) for garnish
• 3 ounces dairy or non-dairy feta cheese

  for garnish
• 3 cups walnuts
• ¾ teaspoon pink sea salt

  or more to taste
• ⅜ teaspoon garlic powder

  or more to taste

Instructions

• 1 Rinse beets, and if you are not going to peel them, scrub well.
• 2 Place in the Instant Pot and cook on the pressure setting for 23-27 minutes,
  depending on the size of your beets. Allow the pressure to come down naturally
  for 15 minutes, then release manually.
• 3 Allow the beets to cool enough to handle. This salad is as good warm as cold.
• 4 Peel the beets (unless you decided to eat them unpeeled) and cut off any
  remaining leaves from the tops. Slice thinly or cube them.
• 5 Whisk [https://amzn.to/40iGWyZ] together the ingredients for the dressing. Pour
  over the cooked beets and stir gently to coat all sides.
• 6 The vinaigrette flavor will become somewhat more intense the longer the beets
  sit in it, so for a more strongly flavored salad, combine the beets and dressing
  in advance and refrigerate them. Remove from the refrigerator for at least 15
  minutes before serving to allow the olive oil [https://amzn.to/3mAyLk3] to
  re-liquefy.
• 7 Serve on a bed of greens and garnish with feta cheese, crispy walnuts and thyme
  sprigs just before serving.
• 8 Cover the walnuts with filtered water and allow to soak for 24-36 hours. Rinse
  about every 8 hours. Walnuts will swell slightly.
• 9 When they have soaked as long as you like, drain the walnuts thoroughly.
  Sprinkle the seasonings over the walnuts and stir well.
• 10 Place the seasoned walnuts on dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 105 degrees F
  for 36-48 hours depending on your preference for texture. They become more
  buttery as they become completely dehydrated.
• 11 Allow to cool for no more than 30 minutes and store the crispy nuts in a jar
  with a tight-fitting lid.

Nutrition Info