If you have been following along on my journey, you might have caught on that beets are one of my all-time favorite ingredients. They are rich, nutrient-dense, tasty, and—my favorite part—colorful.
A few years ago, I discovered how healthy they were, and while I was training for some running goals that had me running six miles a day, I noticed something. Every time I drank my pre-workout pineapple beet smoothie before going on my runs, I performed a lot better than when I didn’t. I mean, it’s hard to say if this was just mental—I’m no scientist—but it worked. Ever since then, I have always tried to keep beets in my diet pretty frequently.
Most recently, I went out to dinner at one of my favorite places in the area, Java Nation, and I tried an item on their menu that made my eyes light up—their beet and pear salad. I added chicken as the protein, and my goodness. Ever since that day, I’ve been going back to Java and ordering the same thing over and over again, and each time it is just as good.
Last week, my mentor and I went to Java for our monthly meet-up, and as she was scanning through the menu unsure of what she was in the mood for, I quickly pointed to the beet salad. I told her, “I don’t know if you’re a fan of beets, but this is my favorite thing on the menu, so this is my recommendation.” She nodded, and when the waiter came over, she went for it!
As she was taking the first few bites of her meal, I was waiting for any reaction, trying my best not to prompt the question, “So, do you like it? How’s the food?” For some reason, recommending food to people feels like a big deal to me. Maybe it’s because I want to see them enjoying something I suggested.
Anyways, completely unprompted, she let out a big, “Wow, this is so good! Pears and beets—I would have never thought to pair these two together, but this is amazing. Good choice!” Phew, what a sign of relief. She’s enjoying it, I thought.
As we were talking about it, I realized this seemed like a fairly easy thing to make at home, so that’s what I did!
Keep reading to try my simple beet salad recipe: beet and pear with chicken, served with blueberry goat cheese. I think you’ll love it.
Ingredients
- Medium-sized red beetroot
- Red pepper
- Green pepper
- White onion
- Red leaf lettuce
- Radish
- Green pear
- Garlic
- Seasoning
- Pepper
- Salt
- Olive oil
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparing the Chicken
- The night before, season your chicken breast. I used garlic all-purpose seasoning, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Then I let it sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.
- Once you’re ready, preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Chop ¾ of your red pepper, green pepper, and white onion into strips.
- Add the peppers, onion, two cloves of garlic, and the chicken into a baking dish. Drizzle a little olive oil over all the vegetables to keep them from sticking.
- Once the oven has reached 450°F, place the dish inside.
Steam Beet
- Next, take a medium-sized pot and add a small portion of water at the bottom. If you have a steamer basket (which I really recommend), make sure the water does not go above where you’ll place your beets. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, place the beets in the pot and reduce the heat. Allow them to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the beets are fork-tender.
- Tip: Do not peel the beets before steaming to avoid over-bleeding. When the beet bleeds too much, it loses many of the nutrients stored in the root.
Salad Fixings
- Finely dice the remaining red pepper and some radish. Toss them into your red lettuce.
- Slice about half a green pear (or another type if you prefer).
- Your chicken should be ready after 35–40 minutes.
- Assemble your salad: add lettuce, peppers, radish, sliced pear, and chicken. Top with goat cheese (blueberry goat cheese if available) and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. ¡Provecho!
Beet and Pear Salad with Chicken & Goat Cheese
Instructions
- The night before, season your chicken breast. I used garlic all-purpose seasoning, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Then I let it sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.
- Once you’re ready, preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Chop ¾ of your red pepper, green pepper, and white onion into strips.
- Add the peppers, onion, two cloves of garlic, and the chicken into a baking dish. Drizzle a little olive oil over all the vegetables to keep them from sticking.
- Once the oven has reached 450°F, place the dish inside.
- Next, take a medium-sized pot and add a small portion of water at the bottom. If you have a steamer basket (which I really recommend), make sure the water does not go above where you’ll place your beets. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, place the beets in the pot and reduce the heat. Allow them to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the beets are fork-tender.
- o Tip: Do not peel the beets before steaming to avoid over-bleeding. When the beet bleeds too much, it loses many of the nutrients stored in the root.
- Finely dice the remaining red pepper and some radish. Toss them into your red lettuce.
- Slice about half a green pear (or another type if you prefer).
- Your chicken should be ready after 35–40 minutes.
- Assemble your salad: add lettuce, peppers, radish, sliced pear, and chicken. Top with goat cheese (blueberry goat cheese if available) and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. ¡Provecho!
Want to More Beets IN Your Life?
Don’t miss my Beet & Berries Smoothie Recipe — the perfect pre-workout boost packed with flavor and nutrition!
