green salad with beets and prosciutto chips

This Green Salad with Beets and Crispy Prosciutto Chips is going to rock your salad bowls! The caramelized onion and buttermilk dressing is sublime and the contrast of the crunchy prosciutto chips with the unctuous beets is better than the sum of the parts. It’s naturally gluten-free and primal too! 

I originally shared this recipe on June 21, 2011. I have updated the images and some of the text today.

Sometimes salads get a bad rap because, let’s be honest, some salads are just sad. But not this one. I’m so excited about this crazy delicious salad I’m not even sure where to start! Well, let’s start with the dressing. Oh man! The creamy onion dressing takes a little more effort than your basic oil and vinegar, but it is really worth it. I wanted it to be sort of like French onion dip without all of the MSG and calories. I found that if you slowly caramelize sweet onion and thyme and then puree it with buttermilk and a little mayonnaise you get super yummy results and a lot less calories. 

Then let’s move onto the beets and mixed greens.  The color contrast is so gorgeous, especially if you use red and golden beets. Then you get the different textures of the creamy, soft beets with the crisp greens.  Seriously, it doesn’t get better than this. And let’s not forget about how the earthy flavor of the beets pairs so well with the bitter greens and that aforementioned out-of-this-world creamy and tangy dressing!

And just because I couldn’t stop there, I topped all this unbelievable goodness with prosciutto chips. Yes, you heard that right! Basically salty little meat potato chips. I love the crunch of them with the earthy sweetness of the beets and onions. They are so easy to make. Just cut prosciutto into bite-sized pieces, brush them with oil and bake them. Crazy??!

Tips for Making a Super Star Salad

• Make your own dressing. Most dressings are super easy to make and only involve a few ingredients that you probably already have. Believe me a homemade dressing is soooo much better than anything pre-made. And healthier too! Browse through my home-made dressings here.
• Use a mix of greens and veggies. Remember how I said you eat with your eyes first. Consider color and texture when you’re picking out the greens and vegetables to include in your salad.  Think about how something bitter and bright will taste so good when paired with something soft and creamy.
• Add a surprise element. I love adding toasted nuts, fruit, grains, cheese, beans and especially these meaty chips to salads. It’s this extra little effort that really pays off and takes your salad to that super star level.
• Make it satisfying. Adding fat to the dressing and salad makes it easier for your body to digest certain vegetables, and fat (plus fiber) helps you stay full longer. Even still- this recipe is about 200 calories per serving! 

Here’s a 60 second video I made to show you how to make it.

Salad Month is still going strong and this Green Salad with Beets and Prosciutto Chips is my latest contribution. You will not be disappointed when you make this salad. The dressing alone is worth the time and effort, but those prosciutto chips with haunt your dreams!

QUESTIONS

What would be in your Super Star Salad?

Have you ever had prosciutto in a salad?

What’s your favorite way to eat prosciutto?

This recipe originally appeared in a feature I wrote for EatingWell Magazine in 2010.

green salad with beets and prosciutto chips

• Prep Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

This Green Salad with Beets and Crispy Prosciutto Chips is going to rock your salad bowls! The caramelized onion and buttermilk dressing is sublime and the contrast of the crunchy prosciutto chips with the unctuous beets is better than the sum of the parts. It’s naturally gluten-free and primal too!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 1 bunch beets, about 12 ounces, preferably baby-sized, stems and greens removed
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
• ¼ teaspoon dry thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup non-fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 14 cup mixed salad greens

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush ½ teaspoon oil over a large baking sheet. Cut prosciutto into 1 to 1 1/2 –inch squares and place on the baking sheet. Brush the prosciutto with ½ teaspoon oil. Bake until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully transfer the prosciutto chips to a wire rack with a spatula. (If you leave them on the baking sheet they won’t be as crisp.)
2. Meanwhile, place beets in a large saucepan with enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes. (If using larger beets, they will take up to 40 minutes.) Drain and let stand until cool enough to handle. Trim both ends of the beets and rub off skins. Cut into wedges.
3. While the beets are cooking, combine onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the onion is very soft and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes more. (If the onion begins to brown before it becomes very soft, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.) Remove from heat cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Stir the onions, scraping up any browned bits. Set aside ¼ cup of the onion and transfer the rest to a blender or food processor. Add buttermilk, vinegar, mayonnaise and chives. Puree until smooth.
5. Toss salad greens, the reserved ¼ cup onion and the dressing in a large bowl. Divide among 4 plates. Top with beets and proscuitto chips.

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Notes

6 mg Cholesterol, 1 g Added Sugars

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 1/4 cup
• Calories: 194.64 kcal
• Sugar: 7.13 g
• Sodium: 866.34 mg
• Fat: 12.0 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.02 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.04 g
• Fiber: 4.27 g
• Protein: 9.14 g
• Cholesterol: 13.96 mg

Here are the original images associated with this blog post.