Ultimate Beet Salad (Printable version)

Vibrant roasted beets with goat cheese, walnuts, and tangy vinaigrette on mixed greens.

# What you need:

→ Beets

01 - 4 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed

→ Salad Base

02 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, baby spinach, or mesclun)
03 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
05 - 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or chives), chopped

→ Vinaigrette

07 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Wrap each beet individually in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 40–50 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool, then peel and cut into wedges or bite-sized cubes.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the salad greens, red onion, and half of the fresh herbs. Drizzle with about two-thirds of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat.
05 - Arrange the roasted beet pieces over the greens. Top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
06 - Garnish with the remaining herbs and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The earthy sweet roasted beets play perfectly with tangy goat cheese
  • This salad makes people think you are fancy but it is so deceptively simple
  • You can roast the beets ahead of time and assemble in minutes
02 -
  • Wear gloves or rub your hands with lemon juice after handling beets unless you want pink hands for days.
  • The beets can be roasted up to three days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
  • Do not dress the salad until you are ready to serve or it will get soggy and sad.
03 -
  • Buy pre cooked beets from the salad bar if you are in a huge rush.
  • Toast extra walnuts and keep them in a jar for quick salad additions all week.
  • The dressing tastes better if made an hour ahead so flavors can meld.

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