I love beets, whether in a salad or simply roasted or in the classic combination of beets with orange and red onion.

Today I’m riffing on the flavors of the last salad, but taking it (hopefully) a little more upscale.

The cashew cream is something new to me, but after making this, is something I’ll be playing with. A neutral non-dairy cream has all sorts of possibilities.

Make the cream first and allow it to chill for a few hours or even a day.

Beet Carpaccio with Orange Cashew Cream and Mandarin

INGREDIENTS
For the cashew cream:
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water (+/-)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

2-3 medium beets- cooked and sliced as thinly as possible (I used a mandolin)
1/2 cup mandarin orange segments, rinsed and patted dry on paper towel
1/4 cup pistachios crushed
Extra virgin olive oil

METHOD
For the cashew cream:

  • Place cashews into a bowl and add enough filtered water to cover, set aside for 2 hours (or over night)
  • After 2 hours, drain and rinse cashews
  • Place drained and rinsed cashews into a blender along with the 1/2 cup water, salt and orange extract
  • Blend until creamy
  • * Note if you don’t have a blender – a food processor will work, but be sure to stop a few times and scrape down the sides to ensure the cream is creamy!

  • Scrape the cream into a small container, cover and put in the fridge
  • PLATING
    You can have some fun here, it could be plated similiar to beef carpaccio, thin slices overlapping on a plate, then topped with drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil, followed by a drizzle of the cashew cream, the mandarin segments and a scattering of the crushed pistachios.
    vegan beet carpaccio

    or for elegant canape – slices of the beets, a dollop of cream and a madarin segment.
    beets in a row

    What about a swoosh of cream, and all the fix’ns
    vegan beet carpaccio

    In any event, as my good pal says – you can’t beat beets!

    Until next time Eat Well & Keep Digging!
    vegan beet carpaccio