Ensalada de Nochebuena
(en-sah-LAH-dah deh noh-cheh-BWEH-nah)
La Tamalada y Las Fiestas: Gathering Around the Holiday Table
Christmas Eve at dusk, kitchen windows fog from a steaming tamalera, and a wide glass platter of roasted beets sits dead center. Before the modern crutch of heavy mayonnaise took hold, true borderland salads relied on pure, frugal resourcefulness, the earthy boiling water yielding a deep crimson base when whisked with fresh citrus. Tossed with crisp jicama, it cuts perfectly through a heavy plate of tamales. For a standard weeknight, reaching for high-quality canned beets captures that exact magic in a fraction of the time, preserving both the cook's sanity and the sharp earthy bite, the beets bleeding crimson into the jicama, salted peanuts scattering across the tablecloth, the platter emptying long before midnight.
Before you start
Using fresh beets.
If you prefer boiling fresh beets over the canned shortcut, boil them whole with the skins on for 45 to 60 minutes until tender, remembering to reserve 1/3 cup of the boiling water to build the dressing.
Ingredients
- romaine lettuce1 large
- canned sliced beets15 oz
- jicama1 med
- crisp apples2 med
- navel oranges3 med
- sugar or grated piloncillo1 tbsp
- fresh lime juice1 tbsp
- toasted pecans or roasted peanuts1/2 cup
- pomegranate seeds1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Whisk together the vibrant dressing.
In a small bowl, combine the reserved beet liquid, the juice from the reserved orange, sugar, and lime juice, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves.
- 02
Macerate the fruits and roots.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the diced beets, jicama, apples, and orange segments with the dressing, covering and refrigerating for at least thirty minutes so the crisp fruits drink in the magenta dye.
- 03
Build the foundation.
Arrange the chopped romaine lettuce across a large, shallow serving platter to form a wide, crisp green bed.
- 04
Plate and garnish the salad.
Using a slotted spoon, mound the macerated fruit in the center of the lettuce, drizzle over a few spoons of the remaining dressing, and scatter generously with the toasted nuts and pomegranate seeds before serving immediately.
Notes
The dairy dilemma.
Many modern Tex-Mex families employ a cream-based dressing. If you desire that richer profile, simply whisk a half cup of Mexican crema into the beet and orange juice mixture before tossing; it will turn a spectacular, vibrant pink.
From Cook Tex-Mex.