Hot Beet Noodle Salad

Looking for a way to add a variety of vegetables to your plate? Look no further!

As most of you know, I'm currently obsessed with my spiralizer. My newest obsession are beet noodles. I mean, seriously. I loved beets before, but in noodle form they are so much better. I know it's all psychological, but still-- so much fun.

Fun, delicious and so so so good for you, beets really are a super vegetable to have as part of your regular diet. In this dish I paired them with everything but the kitchen sink-- beet greens (waste not want not), brussels sprouts, onions, mushrooms, & garlic. That's why I'm calling it a salad! This dish is a fantastic way to get a variety of vegetables (and a fungus, too) on one plate-- and it's a one pan dish, not including the reduction, which is optional. You can simply serve this as a side, or you can top it with some grilled or sautéed chicken to make it a meal!

Don't have a spiralizer? Sad face, but never fear! Simply slice your beets thinly & then quarter the slices. This will help them cook up quickly in the pan.

In the directions, I have cooked up the other vegetables first & then removed them from the pan to cook the noodles. You can just throw the noodles into the pan with everything else to cooke them, but keep in mind they will turn everything pink! So if you are going for something aesthetically pleasing, I recommend cooking the beet noodles on their own.  If you wish to just throw it all in the pan, go ahead and add the beet noodles at the same time you add the greens & garlic for an al dente noodle. Add them earlier if you want your noodles softer.

Hope you enjoy!

Hot Beet Noodle Salad (serves 2 heartily)

Ingredients:

3 medium beets with greens
4 slices of raw bacon chopped
1.5 cups brussels sprouts quartered
1.5 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 small yellow onion sliced (1/2 if large)
6 cloves garlic crushed
Salt & pepper to taste
1 liquid cup balsamic vinegar (for reduction, optional)

Directions: 

First, remove the greens from the beets. Break off the thick portion of the red stem. Rinse the greens and tear or chop into smaller pieces. Cut the ends off the beet root, and peel the beet root. At this point you can either spiralizer your beet roots as I have, or you can slice them thinly & then cut the slices into quarters. Set aside.

If making the balsamic reduction, pour balsamic vinegar into a pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a bubble and allow to cook until the liquid is reduced by half. You can let the liquid reduce while you are cooking the veggies.

In a pan over medium heat, combine chopped bacon, brussels, onion and mushrooms. Cook until almost done. When almost completely cooked, add the greens and crushed garlic. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and cook down the greens. Remove the vegetable mix from the pan.

To the same pan, if necessary, add a little more fat (I used additional bacon grease, but any Paleo friendly oil or fat will work). Toss in the beet noodles and season with a little salt and pepper. I like to use tongs to toss them while cooking. Cook to desired softness.

To Plate:

Place some noodles onto the plate. Top with the vegetable mixture. Drizzle it all with some balsamic reduction and ENJOY!