Have I mentioned my beet obsession? I think I have. Multiple times. I'm sorry. After not eating them for, ummm, I don't know, 36 years or so I have a bit of catching up to do.

Last night I made my latest super fun beet salad idea as a side to homemade pizza in hopes it would deter me from eating too many slices. It didn't really work, but hey, I loved the salad all the same.

I first made this with roasted beets, but last night I had to hit up my pantry for a can. To be honest, I couldn't tell the difference. I mean if I had them side by side, maybe, but it was just as good. I'm sure I'll be scolded again about the dangers of canned foods (see comments on this post) but I'm not eating canned beets in excess. I have maybe 2-3 cans a year and I'm sorry, but I just don't think that will kill me. However, the stress of worrying about how everything I put in my mouth is a death trap probably will result in my demise.

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

Anyway, I use coconut oil in this salad and I love the flavor it adds. Skinny & Co. sent me a sample and I'm in LOVE. I know the healthy benefits of coconut oil are still being debated but there's no denying this stuff is YUMMY! And a nice change from olive oil for salads like this. It adds a bit of exotic sweetness. I love it!

Here's what I did...

Ingredients

1 15oz can of beets, drained (250g of beets after drain)
1 snack-sized container (4oz) of mandarin oranges
Handful of fresh mint leaves (5g)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (14g)
Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Gather all your ingredients while the toddler munches on some veggies after making pizza.

Oh how I love this age. They are so much fun to have in the kitchen!

Anyway, put all the ingredients in a bowl,

and toss.

It doesn't get much easier than that, people!

Please note: Coconut oil is a solid over 75 degrees so this is a room-temp salad on a warm day and that's how I like it. If you store it in the fridge, the oil will solidify again. It's not a bad thing -- just let it sit out at room temperature before serving.

📖 Recipe