Beet and carrot salad: bright, make-ahead, and forgiving

This salad works for you even while you are not in the kitchen. Cook the beets and carrots, dress them, and let them sit in the fridge soaking up a citrus-ginger marinade; it comes out brighter the longer it waits. On a week when your energy is uneven, a dish you can make ahead and pull out cold is a real gift, and it keeps for days.

The roots here are quietly nutritious. Beets bring folate and the plant pigments that give them their color, and they are a traditional support for the liver, which carries part of the body's detox load. Carrots add beta-carotene, a source of vitamin A involved in immune and mucosal health, and both bring fiber that supports a healthier gut community. The fresh ginger in the dressing is a gentle anti-inflammatory aromatic, and the apple cider vinegar is one of the approved vinegars.

These are whole roots, grown in soil, and they reward a little patience and care. Use Chioggia or golden beets if you want the carrot to stay distinct rather than turn crimson. When you serve it, scatter the chives over the top and let the colors show. Take a breath before you eat, and let the meal land in a settled body.

Ingredients

• 4 medium Chioggia or golden beets (about 1 lb)
• 5 medium carrots (about 1 lb)

Marinade:

• juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• chives, to garnish

Method

Boil the whole beets, covered, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool them, then peel and chop.

Steam the sliced carrots until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool.

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl. Fold in the beets and carrots, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally so the flavor works through. Adjust the salt and garnish with chives before serving.

A note on color: red beets work fine and taste the same, but they will dye the whole salad crimson. Chioggia or golden beets keep the carrot its own color.

*Adapted from asquirrelinthekitchen.com*