I've been trying to add beets to my salads because they're really healthy, but they always end up turning everything red and it looks awful. Is there some trick to prevent this or do I need to prepare them differently?
Beets release that red dye when you cut them and it mixes with the other ingredients, so the best thing is to isolate them a bit. You can cook them and let them cool completely before adding them, then put them in a separate container with a bit of vinegar or oil so the color gets "sealed." That way when you add them to the salad at the last minute, they won't stain as much. Another option is to peel and cut them, then let them sit for a while in a bowl with a splash of olive oil and vinegar, like you're marinating them - that creates a kind of barrier that stops them from releasing so much red liquid.
If you want them not to stain anything at all, you can also try buying canned beets that are already cooked and drained, then rinse them in cold water to get rid of the excess red liquid. Dry them well with paper towels before adding them. And here's a trick that works pretty well: prepare the salad first without the beets, dress everything, then add the beets right when you're about to eat. That way they're in contact with the other ingredients for much less time and there's no time for them to stain too much.
The best thing is to cook the beet whole before peeling and cutting it, because that way the juice stays inside and doesn't stain everything. Another option is to dress it separately with a bit of oil and vinegar just before eating, so the red color doesn't spread to the rest of the ingredients. If you peel it raw, at least cut it into small pieces and keep it in an airtight container until it's time to serve, separated from the greens. I also usually add some feta cheese or walnuts at the end so the salad has more variety of textures and colors visually that contrast with each other.
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