The Recipe for beet salad has spiciness, crunchiness, sweetness and bite in one. With roasted beets, peppery arugula, crisp apples, creamy cheese and a rich balsamic dressing, this beetroot salad really has it all!
Why You’ll Love This Salad Recipe
- It starts At. Sweet and salty flavors, creamy and crunchy textures, freshness and pizzazz; This beetroot salad has a high satisfaction factor and is a treat.
- Roasted beets are deceptively easy. Perfecting my cookbook’s Roasted Beet Salad with Honey Orange Ricotta led me to an easy way to roast and peel beets; Roasted turnips have often been on the menu. Once you try my method, you might find that you roast beets more often too.
- It’s packed with beneficial nutrients. Like my Apple Walnut Salad and Kale Brussels Sprout Salad, this beetroot salad recipe is packed with nutrient-dense veggies, fruit, and nuts, making it both healthy and filling. Beets are rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals.
- You can serve it for anything. From casual weeknight dinners to elegant holiday dishes, this beetroot (and winter) salad never fails to impress with its outfit. This Beetroot and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Dressing combines elegance, flavor and texture in one delicious package.
5 star rating
“This recipe is fantastic! Probably one of my favorite salads. Everything about this recipe was perfect!”
— Kirsty —
How to prepare this Beetroot Salad recipe
The ingredients
For the salad
- beets. Beets are an incredibly nutritious ingredient, so beet salads are good for you. They taste earthy with a hint of sweetness and are rich in vitamin C, fiber and folic acid.
- arugula. The peppery and fresh-tasting arugula makes a delicious base for this salad as it stands up to the hearty beets. It is also rich in calcium, potassium and folic acid.
- Apple. Crunchy, juicy and sweet. Apples go great with beets!
- pistachios. Pistachios give the salad a wonderfully salty and crunchy note. They also add protein to the salad.
- goat cheese. For a creamy, cheesy treat that instantly gives this salad that certain something.
- cranberries. A tart complement to the sweetness of apples and beets. They also add a holiday-worthy feel to this salad.
For the dressing
- olive oil. The basis for our spicy-sweet dressing.
- balsamic vinegar. Adds a sweet, tart complexity to the dressing. In addition, it goes well with the beets.
- dijon. For spiciness.
- Honey. The sweet counterpart to the savory and spicier elements in the salad.
- finishing touches. A pinch of garlic, salt and pepper complete the dressing.
The directions
- Roast the beets. Bake at 400 degrees F for 50 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Mix the dressing. A liquid measuring cup works well for this.
- Skin and dice the beets. Mix in half of the dressing.
- Throw. Add some of the other mix-ins.
- Add remaining mix-ins. ENJOY!
storage tips
- To store. Store leftover lettuce in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Meal prep tip
Bake, peel, and dice the beets up to 1 day in advance. Store them in an airtight storage container in the fridge. Mix together the ingredients for the dressing up to 2 days in advance. Store the dressing in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator. Assemble salad as directed and drizzle with dressing to serve.
leftover ideas
Turn leftover healthy beet salad into a hearty lunch or dinner by adding some baked chicken breasts or baked salmon. Mix it with fresh greens to spice it up.
What to serve with a beetroot salad recipe
Beets go well with a variety of meat, fish, vegetables and other side dishes.
- baking pan. You don’t need a steamer basket, a baking sheet is ideal for cooking beets in the oven.
- liquid measuring cup. Perfect for mixing the salad dressing.
- Small whisk. Easier to use and less likely to spill dressing across the counter.
Recipe tips and tricks
- It’s worth roasting. While you can eat beets raw in a salad, I prefer a roasted beet salad to a raw beet salad. Roasted beets are sweeter and therefore tastier (and tastier). Their fork-like consistency gives the salad more volume and makes it particularly filling. The extra step is worth it!
- No more beet stains. Beets are known for leaving stain marks everywhere they go. To prevent turnips from staining your cutting board, place a piece of parchment on top before slicing.
- Serve it warm or cold. Personally, I love serving this salad when the beets are still slightly warm, but it tastes fantastic both at room temperature and as a cold beet salad (ideal if you make the beets ahead of time).
FOR THE BEET SALAD:
- 2 Pound medium-sized beetroot Trimmed tops and roots (about 6 beets)
- 5 ounces arugula
- 1 small apple diced (a sweet/crunchy apple like Honeycrisp or a tart like Granny Smith)
- 1/2 Cup roasted, salted shelled pistachios (I buy them already roasted, salted and peeled), shared
- 1/3 Cup dried cranberries divided
- 4 ounces Goat cheese, feta or gorgonzola crumbled and divided
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the beets in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish or similar casserole dish large enough to comfortably hold them in a single layer. Pour a thin layer of water in the bottom of the pan, cover with foil and bake until the beets are tender in the center when you pierce them with a small, sharp knife. This will take 50 minutes to 1 hour, 10 minutes or longer depending on the size of the mold your beets are. Transfer the beets to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle. If you’re worried about stains on your cutting board, start by covering it with a sheet of parchment paper.
While the beets are cooking, prepare the balsamic dressing: In a medium mixing bowl or large measuring cup, combine the dressing ingredients – olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Once the beets are cool enough to touch but still warm, rub the beet skins with a paper towel. If they are stubborn and sticky, peel them with a small, sharp knife. Cut each beetroot into 3/4-inch pieces (or slice into wedges if you like), then place in a large serving bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the warm beets, then toss to coat (the beets absorb the dressing better when they’re warm).
Add the arugula to the bowl with the beets. Mix to combine. Cover with about two thirds each of apple, pistachios, cranberries and goat cheese. Stir again and add more of the remaining dressing if desired. The arugula should be slightly moist but not overflowing.
Sprinkle the remaining pistachios, cranberries and goat cheese on top. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
- TO MOVE FORWARD: Bake, peel and dice the beets up to 1 day in advance. Store them in an airtight storage container in the fridge. Mix together the ingredients for the dressing up to 2 days in advance. Store the dressing in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator. Assemble the salad as directed for serving.
- TO STORE: Store leftover lettuce in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Portion: 1(of 8)Calories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 23GProtein: 7GFat: 12GSaturated Fatty Acids: 3GPolyunsaturated fat: 2GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 6GCholesterol: 7mgPotassium: 551mgFiber: 5GSugar: 16GVitamin A: 647IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg
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Sign me upfrequently asked Questions
No apples on hand? No problem! Alternatively, you can swap the apple for a pear. Pears also taste delicious with beets.
Yes, you can make a vegan beet salad out of it. Just leave out the goat cheese. You can also replace the goat cheese with a plant-based, vegan goat cheese, feta or gorgonzola.
The quickest and easiest way to roast and peel beets is Roast the beets with their skinsthen grate the skins after baking.
1. Put the beets in a roasting pan with a thin layer of water. Cover and bake at 200ºC until beets are tender. (Plan ahead! Roasting large beets can take an hour or more.)
2. Once the beets are cool and safe to handle, rub the peel with a paper towel. Every now and then you have to switch to a paring knife for stubborn beets, but overall it’s much, much faster.
Secure! A Balsamic Beet Goat Cheese Walnut Salad would be wonderful! Pecans are also a tasty choice.
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