I developed this beet salad for Cooking Light magazine way back in the late 1990s. It’s still a winner today. You’ll get the idea of how easy it is to use the pressure cooker. to make this recipe.
Pictured here are gold and chioggia beets but red ones work just as well, albeit a bit messier.
Beets in just 3 minutes? Yes, slice them thin. And if they’re young, you don’t need to peel them. At least I don”t, This recipe is perfect for this time of year when citrus is at its peak.
This recipe appears in my cookbook The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and it also appears in The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes.
Orange Scented Beet Salad
Makes 4 1 cup servings of beets plus ½ cup greens
3 minutes high pressure; 7 minute natural pressure release
Cooking beets has never been easier. They become so tender that you don’t even need to peel them.
1 ½   pounds beets, about 6 medium or more small (smaller is usually better)
½     cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â tablespoons cider vinegar
3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â large slices orange zest from organic oranges
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â tablespoons brown sugar, Sucanat or agave syrup
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â teaspoons Dijon mustard
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â teaspoons orange zest
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â green onions, sliced
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â cups spicy greens like arugula, mustard or a mix, washed and dried
Scrub beets. Remove tops, stems and tails and cut in half. Then cut into ¼-inch slices.
Put the orange juice, vinegar and the large slices of orange zest into the cooker. Add the beet slices. Lock on the lid. Bring the pressure to high over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain high pressure for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Let the pressure come down naturally for 7 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
Remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Remove the large pieces of orange zest. Stir in the brown sugar and mustard.
Remove the beets from the cooking liquid and let cool for 5 minutes. Mix the orange zest and green onions with the beets. Pour the liquid from the cooker over the beets. Spoon ¼ of the mixture onto ½ cup of spicy greens on individual salad plates. Or you may chill the beets, without the zest and green onions, and let sit in the liquid for a day or two. Right before serving stir in the orange zest and green onions.
This photo is the undressed (naked) salad.
David says
I’m not sure I’m reading this recipe correct? I’m having difficulty reading the instructions. Orange zest slices? Do I put the orange slices AND zest in the pot and do I also chop or cut the beets prior to also put them in the pot. Where does it say slice the beets? I may be literal here but I’m simply not fully understanding what I’m reading.
Jill Nussinow says
The first step of the recipe clearly states to slice the beets. The orange peel pieces go in with the beet slices.
I suggest that you might want to reread the recipe and follow the steps. It is very tasty.
Enjoy it.
Jo says
Recipe above might need a comma. Reads 3 large slices orange zest from organic oranges.
Might be 3 slices of an orange. And then zest?!
Jill Nussinow says
Actually you peel off 3 large slices of the orange zest and put them in when you cook the beets. It makes them extremely tasty.
Bernice Clark says
I just discovered your site!! I just cooked my farmer’s market golden beets and the ‘candy cane’ beets in your sauce. I adapted it on the stove rather than the pressure cooker, but OH MY! DELICIOUS! I plan to let them marinate a day or two in the sauce before I make the salad. Thank you so much! I’m thrilled with your site!
Jill Nussinow says
I hope that you find many other recipes that you like as much. If you pressure cook, you will find plenty of recipes to keep you busy in the kitchen.
Thank you for commenting.