Whipped Ricotta with Beets and Citrus
A vibrant composed salad of creamy whipped ricotta, roasted beets, fresh grapefruit and orange segments, and peppery arugula, finished with a bright citrus-honey vinaigrette. Try serving family-style as a side dish, or individually as a salad course.
Ingredients
- 2 cups good, whole-milk ricotta
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 8 small beets
- 1 grapefruit
- 2 oranges
- ¼ cup toasted almonds
- 8 mint leaves torn
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
- 3 tbsp honey
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Coat the beets with a little bit of oil and salt, place in a roasting pan, and cover with foil. Roast for 45 minutes (or longer, depending on the size of the beets). You should be able to pierce them with a fork without resistance. Let cool, then peel and cut into wedges.
- Place ricotta in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment and add the 2 tablespoons buttermilk and kosher salt to taste. Whip on medium speed until smooth and light.
- Supreme the grapefruit and oranges over a bowl to reserve the excess juices. To the bowl, add lemon, honey and extra-virgin olive oil.
- Assemble the salad by spreading the ricotta on the plate in a shallow well. Arrange citrus over the ricotta, then the beets. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over top.
- Toss the arugula and mint with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Arrange on top. Finish with flaky sea salt and almonds.
Chef Tips!
Arugula adds a spicy element to the salad, but it also works well with tender pea shoots, or a combination of both.