Beet carpaccio is a delicious vegetarian twist on carpaccio using thinly sliced roasted beets as the base. Give it a try, it's surprisingly much more delicious than just "sliced beets." Read the notes below the recipe for more topping ideas.
Chop off any beet greens and long "tails" from the beets. Scrub the beets clean (no need to peel yet) with a clean brush or sponge. Wrap each beet in foil.
Place the foil-wrapped beets on a baking pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until each beet can be pierced with a fork all the way through the center. The exact baking time will vary depending on the size of your beets. Remove the beets from the oven and cool until safe to touch.
While the beets are baking, prepare the vinaigrette: combine all the ingredients in a small jar and whisk together really well with a fork, making sure the honey is not stuck to the bottom.
When the beets are cool to touch, rub your hands against the beets to remove the skin. If it doesn't come off easily, slice it off with a vegetable peeler. Cut off the rough part where the beet greens used to be.
Use a mandoline slicer (or a knife) to slice the beets into thin even slices. Be very careful not to cut your hands! Always use the safety holder when slicing instead of holding the beets with your hands.
Arrange the sliced beet slices on a plate or platter (see notes below for tips on what size plate to use).
Top the center of the beets with your baby arugula or mixed greens. Add your toppings of choice on top and drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve chilled or room temperature.
Notes
→ How many beets to use and what size plate to use: Two large beets is enough to cover one 9-inch plate, like I did in this recipe, but it will also depend on the thickness of your slices. Thinner slices = bigger plate needed. If you want to make sure your beet circles are all the same size, I recommend cooking 3 beets, and using the smaller pieces for another beet salad. 2 large beets makes about 4 appetizer-sized servings.→ Instant Pot beets: Cook large beets at high pressure with ½ - 1 cup water for about 30 minutes (25 minutes if you want more "crisp" beets). Quick release pressure. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the size and shape of your beets. I prefer roasting because you can check on the done-ness of the beets at any time, but Instant Pot is a great hands-off option.→ How much baby arugula or salad greens to use: To serve this all FANCY, add just a little bit in the center (about a cup). To make it more of a healthy, filling salad, feel free to add more greens to your plate!→ Extra vinaigrette: This recipe makes extra vinaigrette, which can be used on any other salad over the next couple of weeks. Keep the leftovers in a closed jar in the fridge. → More topping ideas: Thinly sliced red onion, capers, toasted pine nuts, toasted slivered or sliced almonds