Meatless Munch: Roasted Fig & Beet Salad

It's beet season, friends.

I know, I know.
Some of you are thinking, 'Ew! I'm going to skip this recipe!'

But you really shouldn't.

I'll agree, I used to hate beets.
T eats them and convinced me to try them one day. I told him they tasted like dirt and moved on.
THEN, I had roasted beets. Lovely, tender roasted beets with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar.
And I was forever changed.

I needed something healthy to make for Fourth of July festivities.
I had a bunch of beets and saw some figs on sale at the market.
It was a food experiment.
A really, really good one.

Roasted Fig & Beet Salad

5-10 large raw beets, all varieties
1 container figs
fresh thyme
fresh green onion
feta cheese
kale

First off, I cleaned and sliced the beets into rounds.
I placed them on a tray (sprayed with coconut oil spray so they wouldn't stick) and topped with a little ground salt and pepper. Try this kind of salt. It's my favorite one to cook with.

This was my first time cooking with figs, so I had to consult the google.

But basically, you cut them in half. I placed them face down in a tray that had also been sprayed.

I made a little mix of honey and balsamic and drizzled that over the top. I also laid some fresh thyme in the tray and covered with foil. I stuck it in the oven with the beets.

I roasted it all at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. The figs were soft and good to go.

The beets took a little longer. I would cook them until they are easy to pierce with a fork.

I made a little dressing to bring all the flavor together.

I mixed some chopped baby green onion with a few tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar and about 1 tablespoon honey. 

I put a big pile of baby kale in a bowl and topped it with the roasted beets, then figs, then dressing and finally- crumbled feta.

For those brave enough to try the beets...they were pleasantly surprised.

Still not convinced? Read about some of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification benefits of beets here.

Plus, eating this for part of my Fourth of July lunch made me feel a lot less guilty about this:

Health Math: 

Roasted Fig & Beet Salad + Scotcharoo + Swimming + Sunbathing= Balance