Citrusy Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad

Goat cheese is the perfect addition to this beets salad because it provides a mild, tangy flavor and a creamy, rich texture. Not only is this cheese a perfect complement to salad recipes, but it’s also a star ingredient in sweet and savory recipes alike. If you agree, you’ll love my other Goat Cheese Recipes.

The recipe inspiration doesn’t stop there! If you love to surprise your family and friends with 5-star salads like this roasted beet salad with goat cheese, then you need to try my other fancy salad recipes. My favorites are this Goat Cheese Salad, the famous Kardashian Salad, and the Original Caesar Salad.

A close-up of a salad with cheese, walnuts, and beets with a fork on the side.

Table of Contents show

Ingredients

The beet salad ingredients are all common pantry or fridge staples, so you likely already have many of them on hand. If not, you only need a quick trip to the grocery store!

To make things easy, we broke the ingredients into three sets: one for the beets, another for the dressing, and a final set for the salad itself.

Ingredients for roasting beets in bowls from the top view.

For the oven-cooked beets, gather four medium-sized whole beets, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Ingredients for salad dressing for beetroot salad in bowls from the top view.

To make the dressing for beet goat cheese salad, you’ll need maple syrup, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Ingredients for a salad with beets, cheese, and nuts from the top view.

For the beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts, gather a shallot, baby arugula, spring mix, chopped walnuts, and crumbled goat’s cheese.

Helpful Notes and Substitutions

The beauty of beet salad recipes is that they’re typically substitution-friendly, so don’t stress if you don’t have all the ingredients. You can also make swaps for the nuts, cheese, greens, and other ingredients to suit your preferences. Here are a few suggestions:

Beets: I chose classic red beets for this roasted beet and goat cheese salad with balsamic dressing, as I love their vibrant color and sweet flavor. However, you could also use golden beets or pink Chioggia beets instead. Pink Chioggia beets are especially fun because they have a beautiful pink and white pattern on the inside.
Sweetener for the goat cheese and beet salad dressing: The recipe calls for maple syrup as the sweetener for the salad dressing, but you can also use honey for a similar flavor. Alternatively, if you’d like to omit a sweetener, you can add chopped apples or pears to your roasted beet goat cheese salad for some natural sweetness.
Vinegar: I used balsamic vinegar because I like the tanginess and acidity it adds, but you can also use red wine vinegar instead. If you’re in a pinch and need a super simple salad dressing, try my Lemon Vinaigrette.
Nuts: Plain, chopped walnuts give the goat cheese beet salad a crunchy texture and a nutty flavor, but you could take it a step further and make some yummy Honey Glazed Walnuts for extra sweetness. If walnuts aren’t your thing, you could also make a beet goat cheese pistachio salad or add some pecans instead.
Salad greens: I love the combination of peppery arugula and spring mix, but feel free to use any earthy, leafy green. You could use only fresh arugula or spring mix instead of combining the two, or use baby spinach to make a spinach beet goat cheese salad.
Onion: I prefer to use a shallot in my dressing for beet and goat cheese salad because it has a sweet, mild flavor, but you could also use a red onion for a more sharp flavor.
Cheese: If you’re not a big fan of goat’s cheese, you can rest assured that other cheeses would pair nicely with this fresh beet salad recipe. I recommend using feta cheese, but any type of soft cheese would work.

How to Make Beet Salad?

With just a little bit of prep and some baking time, you can have this stunning, restaurant-quality beetroot salad with goat’s cheese and walnuts on the table and ready to enjoy.

Just as we broke the ingredients into three sections, we’re also breaking the instructions into three sections:

How to Roast Beets for Salad

To prepare beets for salad, we roasted them in the oven to bring out their sweetness and make them easier to eat. However, there are various other ways you can roast your beets. If you’re in a rush, you can roast beets in the air fryer. You can also use your pressure cooker to make Instant Pot Beets or fire up the grill to make Grilled Beets (a grilled beet salad would be great for summer).

Cooking beets for a salad couldn’t be easier. Here’s how to do it:

Preheat the oven: Set your oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

A person wrapping beets in foil to prepare for roasting in the oven.

Prep the beets for baking: Cut a sheet of aluminum foil into four 8-10 inch squares. Place a beet in the center of the square, drizzle it with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle it with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
Cover with foil: Tightly wrap the foil around the beet and repeat with the remaining ones.
Bake: Place the foil-wrapped beets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender (a knife should slide in and out easily).

A person preparing beets for salad by slicing them and placing in a bowl.

Cool: Remove the beets from the oven, unwrap them, and let them cool for about 10 minutes on the counter. Carefully peel off the skins (use a vegetable peeler if needed) and slice them into wedges.

Make the Dressing for Beet Salad

In my opinion, this is the best salad dressing for beets. It’s sweet, tangy, and garlicky! Here’s how to make it:

A person shaking salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar.

Make the dressing: To a mason jar, add the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Tightly secure the lid on the jar and shake to combine the ingredients. You can also combine the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. Taste and add another pinch of salt or pepper as needed.

Assemble the Salad

Once you roast the beets and make the dressing, the roasted beets and goat cheese salad comes together in a flash. Simply:

A person tossing greens in dressing and adding beets and cheese to the salad.

Assemble the salad: Add the greens and shallot to a large salad bowl.
Add the dressing: Drizzle the vinaigrette for beet salad over the greens and toss to combine.
Add the beets and nuts: Toss in the cooked beet wedges and chopped walnuts.
Garnish and serve: Top the sliced beet salad with the crumbled cheese and serve in a large bowl or on salad plates.

How to Make Ahead and Store Leftovers

Since roasting the beets is the most time-consuming part of the recipe, you can roast the beets and prepare some of the other components ahead of time. When you’re ready to serve, all you’ll have to do is assemble the salad! Here are some tips:

Make ahead: You can follow the instructions above to roast the beets and make the dressing ahead of time. For best results, I recommend storing the beets and the dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to two days before serving. When you’re ready to serve, simply assemble the roasted beets salad with goat cheese.
Store: Store your leftover salad in an airtight container or in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. It will stay fresh in the fridge for a day or two. I don’t recommend storing it any longer than that, as the greens will wilt and become limp.

A salad with cheese, nuts, and beets in a bowl from the top view.

What to Serve with Beet Salad

This fancy beet salad makes for a great light lunch or dinner, but it’s also the perfect side dish to accompany soups and main dishes. Below, I’ve put together a few of my favorite pairings to take the guesswork out of your meal planning. If you’re wondering what goes with beet salad, here’s what I recommend:

Serve it with soup: Soup and salad is a classic pairing that’s always so light and satisfying. The flavor profile of this roasted beet salad recipe beautifully complements my Butternut Squash Soup and this Sweet Potato Soup.
Make it a Thanksgiving beet salad: Why not add a new salad recipe to your Thanksgiving spread? A golden beet salad with goat cheese would perfectly capture those warm Thanksgiving colors (simply swap the red beets for golden beets). You can serve your salad alongside a classic Thanksgiving side dish like Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Souffle, or Butter Garlic Green Beans.
Pair a restaurant-quality main course with your fine dining beet salad: Instead of serving this salad cold, make it a warm beet salad with goat cheese to pair with classic, restaurant-style comfort food. Make this Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce or my Pasta Bolognese Recipe if you’re in the mood for Italian, or serve your warm winter beet salad with a decadent Reverse Seared Beef Tenderloin. These options are all great for your next dinner party!

FAQs

What goes well with beets in a salad?

Beets are a wonderful addition to a salad because they add a pop of bright color and a hint of sweet flavor. Beets pair especially well with earthy greens and nuts, and you can even make a homemade salad dressing for beetroot by combining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and garlic.

What cheese goes with beets?

Most soft cheeses pair nicely with beets. We used soft goat cheese for this easy beet salad recipe because we like the tangy flavor the cheese provides, but you can also use feta cheese, gorgonzola, or brie instead.

Other Must-Try Salad Recipes

If you’d like to incorporate more greens into your diet, salads are a great way to do so. They don’t have to be boring, either! Here on the blog, we always pack our salads with yummy toppings and drizzle them with delicious homemade dressings. If you’re in need of a new salad recipe, look no further than the links below:

If you try this Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese