This Beet Salad recipe is one of my favorite ways to use fresh beets, arugula, and goat cheese. It takes just over an hour to prepare, but most of that time is hands-off while the beets roast. The balsamic vinaigrette brings everything together with rich, earthy flavor and a tangy finish.
I’m all about veggie-packed salads a few times a week. Honestly, nothing beats the taste of a fresh salad you toss together at home. If you’re like me, you might also want to try my tabbouleh salad or this delicious Greek salad. They’ve been on repeat in my kitchen lately.
Beet Salad
Beet salad is all about fresh cooked or raw beets, sliced or cut, and served with a simple vinaigrette or paired with greens, cheese, or nuts. I love how the sweet, earthy flavor of beets shines in this dish, and honestly, outside of pickled beets this is hands down my favorite way to enjoy them.
There are so many ways to make this salad, and I’ve tried them all depending on what I have in the kitchen. Some days, I keep it super simple with just the beets and dressing. Other times, I go all out with greens, apples, crispy bacon, or even a sprinkle of grains or seeds.
Beets really play well with all kinds of flavors, which makes them one of my favorite veggies to get creative with.
- Beets – You will need fresh red or golden beets for this recipe.
- Greens – I prefer to use a sharper green, like arugula, to balance with the sweetness of the beets. However, other good greens are baby spinach, spring mix, or watercress. In addition, I used some micro greens as garnish.
- Cheese – crumbled blue or goat cheese works well in this beet salad.
- Dressing – I believe balsamic vinaigretteis best. However, other dressings that work well are lemon vinaigrette or my poppy seed dressing.
- Nuts – Almonds, walnuts, and pecans work best. You could even use candied pecansif you’d like.
- Onions – Thinly sliced red, white, or sweet onions are great to use. To take it a step further, picked red onions are even better.
INGREDIENTS US CustomaryMetric
- 4 medium-sized red beets
- 4 medium-sized golden beets
- 4 cups baby arugula
- ¼ cup pickled red onions
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup crumbled goat or blue cheese
- ½ cup Balsamic vinaigrette
- microgreens
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice off the stem end of the beets.
- Place them in a pan or pot cut side down, along with 1 cup of cold water.
- Cover with a lid or foil and roast in the oven for 1 hour at 350°.
- Remove them from the pot and let them cool for about 30 minutes on a plate or platter.
- Using gloves, clean hands, or paper towels, remove the outside peelings of the beets.
- Cut the beets into thick slices or wedges.
- Serve the prepared beet with arugula, almonds, crumbled cheese, pickled onions, balsamic vinaigrette, salt, pepper, and optional microgreens.
NOTES
I highly recommend, when I’m making my beet salad, that I tuck the beets in close together in the baking dish with just a splash of water. That little bit of steam really makes a difference. It keeps them tender all the way through without drying out, and I’ve found they’re easier to peel when they’ve had that steam bath.
For extra color and a little sweet note: You can toss in a few fresh basil leaves. It’s not necessary, but it’s a nice touch when you have some.
Make it complete: Feel free to add a protein like cooked chicken, fish, or steak.
Beets matter: If the beets are large, they might need an extra 10 to 15 minutes in the oven. I usually check with a paring knife to see if they’re tender.
Cheese types: Either goat cheese or blue cheese works, but I go with whichever I have in the fridge.
Keep it crispy: I like to keep all the salad components separate until right before serving. That way nothing gets soggy, and the arugula stays crisp.
Make-Ahead: Keep the dressing separate and the salad accompaniments separate, but you can prepare this up to 2 days ahead of time for freshness. Don’t season it until it’s ready to serve.
How to Store: If you can keep the ingredients and vinaigrette separate, cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will not freeze.