Recipe
february 2026

Fresh & Pickled Beet Salad

with citrus, fennel, pistachio, blood orange vinaigrette

Paired with 2023 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc

Time: 40 min

Techniques: Supreme, pickle

Yields: 2 portions of salad, 1 cup of vinaigrette

In a sea of February comfort food, this pickled beet salad is a fresh and bright beacon of color. It comes together in less than an hour, pickling and all. We recommend leaving half of the beets fresh, tossed in the vinaigrette, and half pickled, to add variety in texture and to avoid an overly punchy salad. But you do you!

Our 2023 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc is a natural match for this dish. Its fresh red fruit, subtle herbaceousness, and lively acidity echo the citrus and fennel, while gentle tannins ground the sweetness of the beets. A pairing that feels seamless and energized—bright enough for winter, yet hinting at a warmer season ahead.

Ingredients

Salad

  • 2 pieces citrus fruit [white or red grapefruit, orange, blood orange]
  • 1 small bulb of fennel
  • 1 pound of beets [3-4 small, tennis ball sized beets] split in half for two uses
  • 1/4 cup of pistachio, blitzed
  • ~3 tbsp of yogurt or creme fraiche, optional 

 

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 blood orange, zested & juiced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

     

Whisk to combine.

 

Pickled Beets

  • 1/2 pound of beets, peeled and washed [1-2 small, tennis ball sized beets]
  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water 
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp ground coriander 
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions 

  1. Prepare the beets: Peel and wash the beets. Cut into quarters, then slice, yielding quarter moons. Separate half for pickling, and half to be tossed in the vinaigrette.
  2. Pickle beets: Mix together apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, ground coriander, and black pepper and bring to a boil. Let cool and pour over half of the washed, peeled, and chopped beets. Let pickle for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  3. Execute knife cuts: Supreme citrus, and thinly slice fennel. Toss them both in the blood orange vinaigrette.

    Tip: When supreming your citrus, use a pairing knife to cut the top and bottom of your citrus so it can stand on its own. Then, use the knife to peel the skin and pith, exposing the flesh. Carefully cut out the segments between the membranes – this should take two precise cuts per segment, one on either side.

  4. Toast pistachio: In a dry pan, heat blitzed pistachios on medium heat until fragrant.
  5. Assemble salad: Swipe a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche if desired, then pile on fresh and pickled beets, citrus supremes, fennel, and pistachios. Garnish with mint.

How We'd Serve It

This salad shines as a first course or light centerpiece for your meal. Serve the Cabernet Franc with a slight chill to emphasize its freshness and let the savory notes play against the sweet-and-tart vinaigrette.

We’d love to see how you bring this dish to life — tag us @livingrootswine & @natasha.bethh!

Field
Diary