Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Toasted Walnuts
This Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Toasted Walnuts sure is delicious, nutritious, and so easy to make! The beets and dressing can be made ahead of time, making this a quick and healthy meal to put together at the last minute.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the greens and hard ends off beets and place them on a baking sheet or roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle a little olive oil over the beets and sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then fold the aluminum foil around and over the beets to cover them. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until you can easily cut through the beets.
Prepare the dressing while the beets are roasting by combining the olive oil, golden balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Set dressing aside.
Once beets are done roasting, allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the nuts in the 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, and divide the greens between 2 salad plates. Lightly chop nuts after toasting and set aside.
When beets are cool enough to handle. remove the skin, and slice in to circles, ~1/8 inch thick. Divide the beets in half and arrange them in an overlapping circle on top of the greens, then divide the nuts between the two plates, and place them in the middle of the beets. Divide goat cheese in half and crumble over the greens, beets, and walnuts, then drizzle the dressing over the salads and serve.
Notes
Ingredients, Substitutions, and Additions:
Beets. I like this beet goat cheese salad with a variety of colorful beets. Red beets. Golden beets. Pink Chioggia beets. Choose whatever beautiful beets you find at the grocery store.
Goats Cheese. Chèvre, a creamy soft goats cheese, adds a delicious tangy flavor to this goat cheese salad recipe. Feta cheese would be a lovely addition to this beet salad recipe too!
Salad Greens. Try peppery fresh arugula or watercress in this salad. Or, for a milder flavor, baby spinach.
Walnuts. Be sure to toast them to bring out the nutty flavor in your crunchy walnuts! Of course, you can make this with other nuts, like pecans, almonds, or pine nuts.
Dressing Ingredients. To taste, I keep the dressing super simple with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Want to fancy it up a bit? Add a hint of maple syrup, orange zest, or Dijon mustard. Also, feel free to use lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar instead of white balsamic.
Additions. I love this goats cheese salad recipe as is, but other ingredients that would make a great addition include sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, and blood orange segments.
Make Ahead/Meal Prep Tips:
You can meal prep and pre-roast the beets ahead of time, and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the salad. If you're pressed for time, you can use pre-cooked beets, like the ones in the produce section at Trader Joe's.
The salad dressing can also be made ahead of time.
Vegan Option: Omit the goat cheese, or substitute it with your favorite tangy vegan cheese. I think Miyoko vegan cheese is very tasty!