This easy roasted beet salad recipe combines perfectly roasted beets, creamy goat cheese, plenty of mixed greens and a scrumptious homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious for lunch or as a side with dinner!
I absolutely love beets! They’re so versatile and super budget friendly. Plus, when you roast beets they get all tender, sweet and delicious!
I’ve used beets in a beet cashew dip, arancini and enjoyed simply as a side dish with other root veggies.
If you follow along Girl Heart Food, you know how I love to use local ingredients that are grown right here.
Our growing season is so short here in Newfoundland so we have to take advantage of it while we can. Root veggies, like beetroot, grow particularly well here.
I nabbed a couple of beets (and a whole bunch of mixed greens) from my parent’s garden to make this roasted beet and goat cheese salad. How cool is that?
What Do I Need For this Roasted Beet Salad Recipe?
- Fresh beets
- Thyme
- Plenty of your favourite mixed greens
- Goat cheese
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Toasted sliced almonds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Olive oil
- Seasoning
How To Roast Beets
There’s all sorts of ways to roast beets. You can roast ’em whole or chop into bite-sized pieces (which cuts down on cook time).
For this beet salad, I opted to roast them the latter. So, here’s the lowdown on how to roast ’em.
- Clean and peel beets
Tip—>Wear some disposable gloves if you don’t want that pretty hue from the beets all over your hands.
- Slice into bite-sized pieces, about a 1/2 inch thick.
- Preheat your oven to 400 F (you could also do a little less and roast longer, if you like).
- Toss beets with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme and place on a baking sheet (cover baking sheet with parchment for easier clean up).
- Bake 30-40 minutes, turning once until beets are roasted and have softened.
- Let cool a little before using in this roasted beet salad recipe.
Can I Roast Beets Ahead of Time?
You sure can!
Simply roast and allow to cool. Store in a container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Beets are also delicious cold!
What Do I Need for Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette?
This maple balsamic dressing is seriously my regular go-to salad dressing.
It pairs so well with practically any salad and takes about a minute to whip up. There’s no added junk or preservatives, just real ingredients. What’s not to love?
So, what ingredients do ya need for homemade balsamic vinaigrette?
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Maple syrup
- Salt and pepper
- Dijon mustard
That’s it! You literally place the ingredients in a small mason jar, cover, shake and pour. So easy and so freakin’ delicious!
Change It Up! For this homemade vinaigrette, I use 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. If you want things more acidic with a little more tang and bite, change the ratio by using 3 parts oil to 2 parts vinegar (basically increase the vinegar component).
Tip—>Like with most salads, dress just before serving so the greens don’t go limp.
More Tips & Variations for Making This Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Want to save time? Purchase ‘pre-cooked’ beets and enjoy as is or roast them for a little, just to get some caramelization.
Red beets were used in this salad, but you could use yellow or candy cane beets instead (or a combo of them).
Not into goat cheese? Try this as a beet salad with feta instead.
Mix up the nuts! Try crushed walnuts instead, if you like.
Speaking of nuts, give your sliced almonds a little toast in a dry pan for extra flavour. Don’t have the heat too high and watch ’em because they can burn quickly. And when they’re done? Remove them from the pan because they can continue to cook if left.
Use whatever greens you enjoy or have on hand…just cut into bite-sized pieces. Red or green leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, kale, arugula or baby spinach are all delicious options.
Ever wonder how to make onion less pungent? Thinly slice ’em, then rinse and drain under cold water. It’ll remove some of their bite if that ain’t your thing!
Looking for extra crunch? Try some homemade croutons on top!
Add some sweetness with some dried cranberries!
I typically enjoy this as a cold beet salad by allowing the beets to cool while I prepare the rest of my ingredients and balsamic dressing. If you like, you could enjoy the beets slightly warm. You do you!
Other Easy Side Dish Recipes You May Enjoy
- Fall Farro Salad – This super hearty grain salad combines roasted beets, apple and kale. It’s a little sweet and a little savoury!
- Harvest Wild Rice Salad – This wild rice salad has roasted squash, pomegranate and is just simply delicious!
- Apple & Gouda Mixed Green Salad – Apples and cheese are such a delicious combo so it’s no wonder why it works great in this green salad.
- Broccoli Raisin Salad from Sarah of Champagne Tastes – this roasted broccoli salad is filling, delicious and comes together in about 15 minutes.
Hope you love this beetroot salad as much as we do!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon,
~Dawn
P.S. If you think this cold beet salad will make your belly happy too, please be sure to hit that little Pin button. Many thanks, you guys! XO
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Roasted Beet Salad Recipe {with goat cheese}
creamy goat cheese, plenty of mixed greens and a scrumptious homemade
balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious for lunch or as a side with dinner!
Ingredients
Roasted Beet Salad
- 1.5 lb beets -about 2 medium-ish beets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme -minced or 1 tsp dried
- 8 cups lettuce -your favourite variety, cut/torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 1/3 cup red onion -thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds -I used 'unsalted'
- 3 tbsp sliced almonds
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
- Clean and peel beets. Cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Toss beets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Spread on a baking sheet (line baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up, if you like) and roast on 400 F for about 30-40 minutes, turning once. Once beets are cooked, allow them to cool before using in salad (unless you prefer them warm).
- Spread lettuce into a large bowl and top with roasted beets and remaining ingredients. Drizzle or toss with maple balsamic vinaigrette.
Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients in a small mason jar, cover and shake to incorporate.
Notes
- Want to save a little time? You can purchase ‘pre-cooked’ beets and enjoy as is or roast them for a little, just to get some caramelization.
- Red beets were used in this salad, but you could use yellow or candy cane beets instead (or a combo of them).
- Not into goat cheese? Try this as a beet salad with feta instead.
- Mix up the nuts! Try crushed walnuts instead, if you like.
- Speaking of nuts, give your sliced almonds a little toast in a dry pan for extra flavour. Don’t have the heat too high and watch ’em because they can burn quickly. And when they’re done? Remove them from the pan because they can continue to cook if left.
- Use whatever greens you enjoy or have on hand…just cut into bite-sized pieces. Red or green leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, kale, arugula or baby spinach are all delicious options.
- Ever wonder how to make onion less pungent? Thinly slice ’em, then rinse and drain under cold water. It’ll remove some of their bite if that ain’t your thing!
- Looking for extra crunch? Try some homemade croutons on top!
- Add some sweetness with some dried cranberries!
- I typically enjoy this as a cold beet salad by allowing the beets to cool while I prepare the rest of my ingredients and balsamic dressing. If you like, you could enjoy the beets slightly warm. You do you!
Nutrition (estimate only)
Mmmmmm. This is way better than what I expected! I love everything about this salad. And the almonds for crunch!
Thanks Mimi 🙂
Root veggie season is definitely our time to shine around here! Beets are one of my faves, especially roasted in salads! This would be great for lunch today, or as a side this Thanksgiving weekend!
That’s a great looking garden! We have beets we still need to pull up from our garden, but I don’t think they are nearly as big as yours! Those beets are gorgeous! I love the idea of roasting these beets and adding to a salad.
It just so happens that I have two perfectly lovely beets in my fridge right now and no plans for them. Your timing is perfect! Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe, which I believe I will be making soon. And now I’m off to check out that awesome arancini recipe of yours!
Such a treat! Why do roasted beets elevate a dish to perfection?! This will be happening in my house! Have a great day, my friend! xoxo
Just look at that beautiful, fresh beet!! I love everything about this salad, Dawn. Putting it on the menu!
Beets are one of those foods that i couldn’t stomach as a child, but am a bit crazy for now! I love them with the goat cheese, too, Dawn! And that dressing atop all of it sounds perfect! Lovely salad!
I love that your beets are homegrown, Dawn! How amazing! I’ve honestly never had a beet…actually, wait, yes I have! I’ve had pickled beets before! However, I’d love to have them in a salad like this! And that creamy goat cheese sounds like the perfect combo! YUM! 🙂
Pickled beets are pretty delish too! Thank you Haylie 🙂
Beets and goat cheese are a fabulous combination, so I will be trying this salad, for sure 🙂 So pretty, too!
Totally! Thanks Jennifer! Enjoy 🙂
Wow, that’s a legit beet you pulled up out of your parents’ garden, Dawn! I’m jealous! And it sounds like you had a great plan in mind when you pulled that up, too. There’s just something magical about beets and goat cheese together. This sounds like an excellent lunch recipe!
Totally! Than you David! It sure is 🙂
What’s not to love is right Dawn. I love the combination of ingredients and the light maple dressing. I’d love to make this on a Monday and have for the week!
Thank you Mary Ann 🙂
Beets are one of my fave veggies, and this salad is super similar to one I order at a local lunch place every time I go there. I’m going to have to make your version–I know it’ll be even better than the one at the restaurant. This looks awesome, Dawn!
Woo hoo! I sure hope you do enjoy it! Thanks Kelsie 🙂
I do love beets, too; they’re probably my favourite vegetables. Honestly, I can even eat them raw (finely grated and mixed with some greek yogurt), but they’re the best when roasted and used in a salad. With goat cheese, nuts, seeds, and balsamic-based dressing, this is the perfection!
That sounds lovely! Thank you Ben 🙂
I’m so jealous of your access to a garden!! It’s my little daydream to have my own full vegetable garden one day. This salad was the perfect use for those beets! As you already know, I LOVE roasted beets so much!! It looks so delicious!! Goat cheese is one of my fave salad additions. Yum!
Thank you so much, Katherine! Nothing like picking fresh like that!
Lucky you to have access to such a great vegetable garden! Gorgeous beets. They’ve always been one of my favorite veggies. Love them and your salad looks amazing and so hearty for this time of year. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks! Lucky indeed 😉 Thank you so much!