Salmon and roasted beet salad with creamy herb dressing

1 pound small beets, all but 1/4 inch of their greens trimmed away;

1⁄2 small red onion, halved lengthwise and cut into thin strips (about 1⁄2 cup);

8 ounces snow peas or sugar snaps, tough strings removed (about 11⁄2 cups);

6 cups bite-sized pieces of romaine lettuce;

Creamy Herb;

Dressing (recipe follows);

1 crisp apple, cored and thinly sliced (about 1 cup);

1 pound cooked salmon, skinned and broken into large pieces.

Place the beets in a single layer on a double thickness of aluminum foil. Fold the foil around the beets to make a snug pouch. Roast the beets until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Open the foil pouch and let the beets cool enough to handle. Trim off the greens and rootlets and slip off the skins. Cut the beets into thin slices or wedges.
Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Add the onion and let sit until needed. The ice water will leach out some of the strong, eye-watering aroma, leaving milder, pure onion flavor.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt per cup of water. Add the peas. Cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer into the bowl of ice water (with the onions) to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain the peas and onions and pat them dry with paper towels.
Place the romaine in a large bowl, drizzle with enough dressing to moisten, and toss well to coat. Divide the romaine among serving plates or arrange on a serving platter. Top with the beets, apple, peas, onion, and salmon. Drizzle with a little more dressing and serve at once with any remaining dressing on the side.
What else works? You can replace the peas with cubes of roasted sweet potato.