Of all the great tapas of Spain, ensaladilla rusa may be my favorite. You’ll find it at every bar across the country, inside the classic Spanish glass case, usually nestled between a potato tortilla and a bowl of olives. I love the classic version, a lovely mess of potatoes, peas, carrots, and tuna, all bound together in a cloak of mayonnaise, but there is plenty of room to play around with this dish. Bar Gresca in Barcelona does an ensaladilla that changes every few weeks depending on what’s in the market: broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts. I’m a beet fanatic, and they make a perfect substitute for the potatoes, adding color and a layer of sweetness to the mix.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2 medium red beets (about ¾ pound)
2 medium golden beets (about ¾ pound)
3 medium carrots, scrubbed
One 14-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and liquid reserved
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
About 1 cup Vegan Allioli
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
GARNISH
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Maldon salt
If the beets still have the greens on, trim them but leave the last ¼ inch so as not to break the beets’ skin (this ensures that the red beets’ color won’t bleed into the cooking water). Put all of the beets in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes for the carrots and 50 minutes for the beets. Check the vegetables frequently so that they do not overcook, and pull out the carrots as soon as they are tender and transfer to a plate. Remove the beets as they are done and add them to the plate. Let the vegetables cool to room temperature.
Peel the beets and carrots: To peel the carrots easily, rub them with a paper towel or kitchen towel to remove the skin. Do the same for the beets (using a paper towel so you don’t stain a kitchen towel). Roll-cut the carrots by slicing them on the diagonal at ¾-inch intervals, rotating each one a quarter turn after every cut. Cut the beets into ¾-inch dice, keeping the two colors separate.
Transfer the carrots and golden beets to a large bowl, along with the chickpeas and peas. Add the sherry vinegar and allioli and mix well to coat the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, gently fold in the red beets; avoid mixing the salad too much at this point so the red beets don’t bleed. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the parsley, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with Maldon salt.
STRAIGHT TALK
José’s love for beets borders on the absurd. After you try the beet version, you can move on to potato, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, or green beans. —MG