5 13 Published Dec 19, 2022, Updated Jan 11, 2023 The salad itself is delicious, but the ginger hemp dressing might just be the star of the show! It’s got a little zip from the lemon and ginger, but not too much and the hemp hearts make it extra creamy. Serve this beet salad at your next holiday gathering or make the full salad and have it for lunch throughout the week — that’s what I did!
Why You’ll Love This Salad
The combination of sweet and savory flavors from the pears and beets make for a unique and delicious salad.It’s jam-packed with tons of nutrients thanks to the veggies, beets, pears and hemp hearts! It is a relatively simple and quick recipe to make, especially if you prep your beets ahead of time!Enjoy as a side salad or add some protein for a meal-sized salad.
Ingredients Needed
beets – add a delicious, earthy sweetness to a salad. They are a great way to add color, texture and nutrients to this salad. Beets are a great source of fiber and are packed with folate, potassium, iron and vitamin C. I prefer to boil my beets, but you can also make roasted beets, instant pot beets, or for a shortcut use pre-cooked beets from the grocery store.lemon juice – this is for boiling the beets. The lemon juice helps to prevent the beets from bleeding. You can also use vinegar if you don’t have lemons on hand.spinach – we’re using spinach as the base for this salad, but feel free to use your favorite variety of greens. Spinach is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium and is an excellent source of fiber.pears – adds a sweet flavor and some freshness to this salad! I prefer using either Bosc or Bartlett pears, but any variety will work. Some pear varieties like Bartlett pears change colors when they’re ripe, but many varieties don’t. The easiest way to check if a pear is ripe is to “check the neck” which means pressing on the top of the pear near the stem. If it feels a tiny bit soft and gives a little you’ll know it’s ripe and ready to enjoy. If it feels hard you’ll want to leave it on the counter 1-2 days more to let it ripen.dried cranberries – the slight sweetness and tartness of cranberries help balance all the other flavors of this salad rather well. They are also an excellent source of antioxidants. I prefer to use dried cranberries that are fruit juice sweetened like these Made in Nature Organic Dried Cranberries.hemp hearts – adds a delicious nutty flavor and slight crunch. They are also loaded with nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin E and protein. I love the Manitoba Harvest hemp hearts. avocado – adds some creaminess and healthy fats to this salad!gorgonzola cheese – adds a salty, savory taste that pairs nicely with the sweet, earthy flavor of the beets and pears. Feel free to swap it out with a different variety of cheese like feta cheese or goat cheese or you can skip it or use a dairy-free cheese if you need this salad to be dairy-free.ginger hemp dressing – definitely the star of the show here! For this dressing, we’re blending together olive oil, hemp hearts, lemon juice, tamari, ginger, garlic and maple syrup.
How to Make
Boil beets: Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water with lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes until tender. The cook time will vary based on how large the beets are. Drain and place the pot under cold running water. Keep rinsing until beets are cool enough to be handled. Peel skin off and cut into chunks. Set aside. Make dressing: Prepare the dressing by putting all ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Prepare salad: Add spinach, beet chunks, pear slices and dried cranberries to a large bowl. Sprinkle the hemp seeds over the salad. Drizzle on the dressing to taste and toss to combine. Serve and top with avocado and gorgonzola cheese.
Customize Your Salad
One of the reasons I love this salad is how customizable it is! Here are some suggestions for variations and substitutions:
Switch up the greens – if you don’t have spinach on hand, feel free to use your favorite lettuce or leafy green instead. Arugula or kale would be my second choice.Dairy-free and vegan – simply skip the cheese (or use a vegan option).Different dressing – craving a different dressing? This red wine vinaigrette, creamy balsamic vinaigrette or balsamic dressing would be delicious on this salad! You can also check out all of my salad dressing recipes.Add grains – I love adding grains to salads for some extra volume and nutrients. Toss in cooked quinoa, rice or farro to make this a heartier salad.Add protein – It would be delicious as a meal-sized salad topped with shredded chicken, grilled lemon pepper shrimp, blackened salmon, crispy baked tofu, tempeh, apple cider vinegar chicken or air fryer chicken breast.Switch up the fruit or add more fruit – I think this would be delicious with blackberries or raspberries added! You could also switch the dried cranberries with another fruit like raisins, dates or cherries!Add red onion – want a little added zip?! Add sliced or diced red onion to the salad.Add nuts or seeds – adding more nuts or seeds to this salad will add a boost of nutrition and some extra crunch. Try toasted walnuts, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. These candied pecans or candied walnuts would also be delicious additions.
How to Serve
This salad makes the perfect side salad or meal-sized salad if topped with protein like this apple cider vinegar chicken, crispy baked tofu or shredded chicken. If you’re serving this salad as a side dish, here are some dishes that would pair well:
Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon – for a seafood option this honey lemon garlic salmon would be delicious!Roasted Cauliflower Steaks – keep the meal vegetarian by serving with these delicious cauliflower steaks.Roasted Root Vegetables – can’t go wrong with serving roasted root vegetables at your next dinner.Vegetable Soup – for the perfect winter pairing serve this salad as a side to a cozy bowl of soup!
Popular Salad Recipes to Try
Kale Pomegranate SaladStrawberry SaladSweet Kale SaladEasy Spinach SaladRoasted Sweet Potato SaladKale and Brussels Sprout SaladGreek Salad
More Beet Recipes to Try
Beet SaladBeet HummusPear and Beet SaladBeet Power SaladEasy Roasted BeetsSimple Beet GreensInstant Pot BeetsBaby Beet and Clementine Salad
Be sure to check out all of the beet recipes as well as the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!
