Red Beet Salad with Garlic and Parsley, the AIP Way

This is a humble dish, and some days humble is exactly enough. 5 minutes of prep, then the beets simmer on their own while you tend to the rest of your day, and what comes back is a deep, earthy, garlicky side that holds for days in the refrigerator.

Beets are a source of folate, involved in cell division and the steady renewal your body is doing all the time, and they carry dietary nitrates that some research has linked to circulation, though the evidence is still being sorted and worth holding loosely. The parsley adds its own quiet vitamin C and color. None of this fixes anything on its own. It simply nourishes you while the larger work continues.

Save the beet greens when you trim them. They are good food too, raw in a salad or wilted in a little olive oil, and there is a real gratitude in wasting nothing. Dice the beets while they are still warm, dress them simply, then let them chill so the flavors settle. A plain meal, eaten with presence, is its own kind of care.

Ingredients

• 4 cups diced cooked beets
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Swaps made: none beyond the source's own AIP adaptation.

Method

• Trim the beet greens, leaving about an inch of stem on each beet, and set the greens aside to use later.
• Place the beets in a pot, cover them with water, put the lid on, and simmer until tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let the beets cool enough to handle, then trim, peel, and cut them into half-inch cubes.
• Toss the beets with the salt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and garlic. Serve chilled.

*Adapted from a-squirrel-in-the-kitchen*