Beet Salad with Goat Cheese (Print version)

Fresh roasted beets paired with goat cheese, walnuts, and a tangy dressing, perfect for a light, elegant dish.

# What you'll need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed (approximately 1.1 lbs)
02 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, baby lettuce) (about 4.2 oz)

→ Dairy

03 - 3.5 oz goat cheese, crumbled

→ Nuts

04 - ½ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (1.8 oz)

→ Dressing

05 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
08 - 1 tsp honey
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife.
02 - Allow roasted beets to cool slightly. Peel off the skin and cut into bite-sized wedges or slices.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
04 - In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with half of the prepared dressing to coat evenly.
05 - Arrange the dressed salad greens on a serving platter. Top with beet wedges, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted walnuts.
06 - Drizzle the remaining dressing over the assembled salad just before serving.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but comes together in just over an hour with mostly hands-off roasting time
  • The combination of sweet roasted beets, tangy goat cheese, and nutty walnuts creates a flavor balance that feels both elegant and deeply satisfying
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, so it works for almost any table you're serving
02 -
  • Don't cut your beets before roasting, no matter how impatient you are. Whole beets roast evenly and stay sweet; cut beets bleed their color and flavor into the oven
  • The dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead, but dress the greens only about 15 minutes before serving—they'll wilt if left too long
03 -
  • Make the dressing in a jar you can seal and shake—it keeps for days and you can shake it back together if the oil and vinegar separate
  • If your goat cheese is very cold and hard to crumble, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. You want it soft enough to break apart with your fingers but still holding its shape

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