Beet and Chickpea Salad With Anchovy Dressing
Published September 25, 2012
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
4 large or 6 medium beets, roasted
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
4 anchovy fillets, soaked in milk or water for 15 minutes, drained, rinsed and dried on paper towels
1 to 2 small or medium garlic cloves (to taste), peeled, green shoot removed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar (more to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
32 grams carbs; 2 milligrams cholesterol; 270 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 420 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Peel the beets and dice, slice or cut in wedges. Combine with the chickpeas and parsley in a large salad bowl.
- Step 2
Mash together the anchovy fillets and the garlic in a mortar and pestle until they have been reduced to a paste. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and mix together well with the pestle or with a fork. Work in the olive oil. Season with pepper. Toss with the beets and serve.
Advance preparation: This will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator
Private Notes
Comments
I follow Martha's guidelines for roasting beets in her "The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking": I place them in a baking dish or lidded ovenproof casserole, add 1/4- to 1/2-inch of water, cover tightly, and roast at 425 degrees until easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. She recommends 30 to 40 minutes for small beets (3 ounces or less), 40 to 45 minutes for medium beets (4 to 6 ounces), and 50 to 60 minutes for large beets (8 ounces).
Easy and good. I boiled my beets--I get tired of the obsession with roasting; boiled is (a little) quicker and heats the kithen less (August beets!), and wanting to go vegan I substituted a couple tablespoons of salt-packed capers (well rinsed) for the anchovies.
I don't understand why the recipe calls for diluting the flavor of the anchovies--if you're going to dilute their flavor, why bother? Even though I used farm-fresh beets, cooked the chickpeas from scratch, and used sherry vinegar, I found the flavor wanting--not the flavor boost I was expecting from the anchovies, which normally add a piquant flavor to almost any dish.
This was a delightful little summer salad! I ate it as a side/protein source to accompany Dan Pelosi’s kale Caesar pasta salad, also on the NYT app.
A French classic. Sherry vinegar gives the best acidic contrast to the sweet beets. Anchovies to taste, but don't substitute; their flavor blends in, adds a marvelous umami, and can't be distinctly tasted. Sliced red onion or shallots are good additions.
Commented on this six years ago, but commenting again to give it some new love; it's a great salad for summer beets! I boil rather than roast the beets (summer = no oven) and used dried (cooked) chickpeas. I agree with others that soaking anchovies is unnecessary, but giving them a rinse isn't a bad idea, the way you'd rinse any salt-packed item--controls salt level. (You can also sub capers.) I added some fresh basil as well as parsley; also added a chopped hard boiled egg and called it dinner.