This Grape-Roasted Beet Salad with Serrano Pepper Dressing is a feast for the senses! In season California grapes not only add texture and flavor to the final salad but also make a delicious marinade for the roasted beets. This is the salad that will elevate your next get-together.
The best summer recipes fit a certain criteria, they must be fresh, crunchy, but substantial enough to fill you up without weighing you down. It’s also a bonus if they do well at room temperature or cold and can be easily transported (making them perfect picnic or cookout fare).
This Grape-Roasted Beet Salad with Serrano Pepper Dressing checks all those boxes and then some.
It has loads of texture from crunchy sliced fennel and pistachios and hits all the flavor profiles: Spicy serrano pepper dressing, fresh grapes, salty roasted nuts, and earthy roasted beets.
But that’s not even the most interesting thing about it. The grape marinade the beets get roasted in is a technique you’ll use over and over again. What are you going to try it on next? Leave me a comment below!
sweet california grapes are the key to this recipe
I’m thrilled once again, to be partnering with California Grown to highlight one of California’s more than 400 crops. Today we’re talking all about sweet, crunchy California grapes!
Like kiwifruit, pistachios, and pomegranate, 99% of the nation’s grapes are grown in California.
Nearly all other grapes that are sold in grocery stores are imported from outside the U.S. Each time you select California grapes you support our economy and the livelihoods of farmers and farmworkers who provide healthy, delicious, and safe fruit for our families.
Choosing to support our domestic food supply and agricultural workers is meaningful and important.
California grapes are in season now (May-January). As conscientious consumers, we have more power than we may realize.
Be sure to look for the Grapes from California label and if you don’t see them at your store, ask!
This handy shopping guide will help you figure out where your food is from, and how to ask for products from California and the U.S. in stores, and when ordering groceries online.
grape. roasted. beets.
If you know anything about me, you know I love, love, love beets and am always coming up with new ways to eat them.
I had a zany idea to enhance their sweetness by roasting them in a sweet and tangy grape marinade. I came across a similar idea on one of my favorite vegan blogs, The First Mess, where Laura roasted beets in grapefruit juice and I thought, “why not grapes?!”
It seems like a ton of marinade at first, but it thickens as it cooks and coats the roasted beets in a grape lacquer that both compliments and intensifies the earthy beets.
a word about serrano peppers
I hope by now you’ve had a chance to experiment with serrano peppers. They are essential to Mexican cuisine.
Serrano pepper plants (Capsicum annuum) originated in the mountainous regions of Puebla and Hidalgo, Mexico and are most commonly eaten as an unripe serrano (which is green) but color to red, brown, and orange as they ripen.
A serrano chili is two times hotter than a jalapeño pepper, clocking in at about 10,000-20,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale. But you can make them milder by removing the seeds and veins.
They are my favorite hot chile peppers to use in salad dressings like this one. Especially if there is a fruity component (in this case grapes). The spicy chili pepper adds the perfect amount of heat to balance out all the other flavors in the salad.
more california grown recipes to try!
- Fresh Kiwi Caipirinha Recipe
- Charred Poblano Guacamole
- Jugo Verde (Mexican Green Juice)
- Vegan Ceviche with Avocado and Lime
- Spicy Marinated Olives with Roasted Garlic and Herbs
- Strawberry Tamales with Horchata Sauce
- Rainbow Veggie Quesadilla
sweet, spicy, nutty, crunchy
All the things a salad should be! Give it a try and see for yourself. Don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Grape-Roasted Beet Salad with Serrano Pepper Dressing
This Grape-Roasted Beet Salad with Serrano Pepper Dressing is a feast for the senses! In season California grapes not only add texture and flavor to the final salad but also make a delicious marinade for the roasted beets. This is the salad that will elevate your next get-together.
Ingredients
- 4 red beets, peeled, trimmed, and cut into eighths
- 2 large bunches California red grapes, divided
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 serrano peppers, stemmed and seeded if you'd like it less spicy and minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 small head fennel, thinly sliced plus a few fennel fronds for garnish
- 1/4 cup roasted, salted pistachios, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven. Heat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place beets in a medium baking dish.
- Blend grape marinade. Blend 2 cups of grapes, with 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper in a blender until smooth.
- Roast beets. Toss beets in the grape marinade. Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Uncover toss to coat in the mixture again and continue roasting and turning every 10 minutes until juices are dry and beets are tender, about 30 minutes more. Let cool.
- Make the dressing. Combine serranos, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, minced shallot, lime juice, white pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Drizzle in the remaining 4 tablespoons of the olive oil while constantly whisking. Taste and add more salt or vinegar if needed.
- Arrange salad. In a large bowl, toss fennel with half of the dressing and arrange on a platter. Cut 1 cup of grapes in half and sprinkle on top of the fennel. Top with beets and pistachios and drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad. Garnish with the fennel fronds and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 19Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g
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love this grape beet pairing, I don’t think I’ve had it before, and beets are such a unique and to me, under-appreciated ingredient that I’m so happy to see it here, also really like the extra spice from the serranos, thank you!
Thank you Sabrina! It’s a match made in heaven. I hope you get a chance to try it!
This recipe was so easy! One of the most delicious things I’ve made in a long time. Didn’t have pistachios so I used toasted pumpkin seeds and added cotija cheese!
Thanks so much Ali! So happy you liked it. Pumpkin seeds and Cotija sound like excellent additions.