Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing
Updated Sep 01, 2021, Published May 13, 2021
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This gorgeous showstopping Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing is perfect for any occasion! Once the beets are roasted (which you can do well ahead of time), the salad comes together quickly. Sit back and enjoy the accolades from your guests!
“We eat a LOT of salads at our house but this one is always at the top of our list! …The dressing is always in the fridge!”
Table of Contents
- Why This Recipe is a Keeper:
- How to Make Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey – Balsamic Dressing:
- Chef Tips and Tricks:
- recipe faqs:
- Make it a meal with:
- For more delicious beet and beet salad recipes, be sure to try my:
- Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing Recipe
Why This Recipe is a Keeper:
Here’s a super simple, showstopping salad with beets recipe that’s perfect for any occasion! Serve as part of a holiday buffet and your guests will ooh and aah!
Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing is perfect any time you’re entertaining, need something to take to a get-together or want to up your side salad game for a dinner at home.
This dressing is our go-to salad dressing and we always have some in our refrigerator. It’s sooo good!
Best of all, if you don’t want to go through the trouble of roasting the beets, cooked unflavored beets are now readily available in the produce department. Yay for when you need something impressive but are short on time.
How to Make Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey – Balsamic Dressing:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this salad with beets recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Beets: I prefer to roast my own beets because I feel the flavor is superior. However, packaged, unflavored roasted beets available in the produce department can be used in a pinch. Use small to medium beets and a variety of colors if available.
- Walnuts: Do toast the walnuts if you have time. Toasting adds another layer of flavor. Pecans can be used in place of walnuts.
- Goat Cheese: Because a log of goat cheese is difficult to crumble, I like to use pre-crumbled goat cheese in the plastic container because it’s easy to sprinkle over the salad.
- Arugula: Arugula has a lightly bitter, peppery flavor. If you’re not a fan of arugula, you can use mixed baby greens or baby spinach.
- Balsamic Vinegar: We love the Kirkland brand from Costco but as long as you’re using a good balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, you’re in good shape.
- Oils: I combine canola oil and extra-virgin olive oil. Just using canola oil is a bit too light while only EVOO will be too heavy. You can also use vegetable or grapeseed oil in place of the canola.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients for the beet salad recipe.
- Trim the tops from the beets and scrub them well. (Save those tops for a salad or a quick saute!)
- Place in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil then pour a little water in the bottom of the pan.
- Cover with foil and roast for at least 45 minutes to an hour. Depending upon their size, they may take longer.
- The beets are cooked when you can easily pierce them with a paring knife.
- Let cool and peel.
- While the beets are roasting, whisk together the honey balsamic dressing. The recipe makes more than you’ll need for the salad but you’ll love having extra for another salad. Refrigerate the dressing until needed.
- MAKE AHEAD: Beets can be roasted and peeled 2-3 days in advance. Refrigerate until needed. Dressing can be combined 3-4 days in advance and refrigerated but will keep for up to a week.
- Combine the beets and red onion with some of the dressing and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. You don’t have to do this, but letting the onion sit in the dressing will soften it up and take away some of the bite.
- Assemble the beet salad recipe:
- Place the fresh arugula on a platter.
- Top with the marinated beets and onion followed by the walnuts and goat cheese.
- Drizzle with additional dressing.
That’s it! Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing is super elegant and perfect for your next dinner party, holiday dinner or special dinner at home!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Toasting nuts can be tricky because they burn quickly so keep an eye on them. Toast on parchment paper in a 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes if chopped and 7-10 minutes if whole. This can also be done in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop. It’s direct heat so won’t take as long. When you can smell the toasted nuts, they’re probably done!
- I always have disposable gloves in my kitchen for handling things like chicken or hot chiles so wearing them while peeling and slicing the beets will keep the color off your hands.
- Eco-friendly alternatives to gloves is to use a cut lemon rubbed over your hands or baking soda and water as suggested by Sunset Magazine.
- To get the stain off your cutting board, sprinkle a little coarse salt over the stain and rub with a lemon half.
recipe faqs:
Yes, absolutely. Be sure to purchase the ones that are plain and not flavored.
Yes! Roast the beets up to three days ahead and refrigerate peeled or unpeeled. The dressing will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, just toss the beets and onions with some of the dressing and let stand as directed.
If you do not like arugula, use mixed baby greens or baby spinach.
Make it a meal with:
- Deviled Crab-Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
- Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower Leek Puree
- Asparagus Cordon Bleu
- Chocolate Avocado Mousse
For more delicious beet and beet salad recipes, be sure to try my:
- Kale Beet and Blueberry Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing
- Quick Pickled Beets with Dill
- Roasted Hasselback Beets with Dill Dressing
- Roasted Beets with Red Wine Glaze
Be sure to check out all my salad recipes at Side Dish Salad Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen. Get more great beet salad recipes at 25 Best Beet Salad Recipes.
Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts Goat Cheese and Honey Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 bunches small to medium beets, 8-10 beets, tops trimmed and scrubbed -OR- 3 small packages cooked beets, sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced vertically
- Baby salad greens, such as spinach, mixed greens or arugula
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted if desired
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Honey Balsamic Dressing
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Rub the outside of each beet with some of the olive oil then place beets in a roasting pan.
- Pour 1/2 cup of water into roasting pan. Cover with foil. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beets can be easily pierced with a knife. Let cool, peel and slice.
- In a bowl, combine sliced, cooled beets and red onion. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of the dressing and toss to coat. (Reserve remaining dressing for another purpose or pass separately.) Let stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes so the beets absorb some of the dressing and the onions soften up slightly.
- Place greens on a platter.
- Top with beet/onion combination, then sprinkle walnuts and goat cheese over the top. Serve immediately.
Honey Balsamic Dressing
- While the beets are roasting, whisk together ingredients for the dressing. Refrigerate until needed.
Notes
- May use purchased roasted plain (unflavored) beets.
- Use mixed baby greens or baby spinach instead of arugula.
- Pecans can be used in place of walnuts.
- Use feta in place of goat cheese.
- When you can smell the nuts, they’re most likely done.
- Toasting nuts can be tricky because they burn quickly so keep an eye on them.
- Beets can be roasted and peeled 2-3 days in advance. Refrigerate until needed. Dressing can be combined 3-4 days in advance and refrigerated but will keep for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This was the first time that I cooked fresh beets. My husband all of a sudden loves beets! This is the best recipe and so easy! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed! Ha! I had a similar experience with beets. Never ate them then they were placed in front of me and I had no choice but to try them. Couldn’t believe what I had been missing! Thanks again and appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
I got ahead of myself and already mixed beets and onions with dressing. Don’t want to serve until tomorrow nite. Can I refrigerate this mixture and still serve tomorrow night ??
Hi, Broasha, Thanks so much for your question and sorry it took a long time to get back to you. You should be fine; the beets will be more marinated and the onions will be softer but it will be okay. Thanks again and hope everyone enjoys!
I can’t do canola oil. Can I replace it with either avocado oil or coconut oil? Can’t wait to make this!
Hi, Jill, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you absolutely can. I would suggest avocado over coconut because it’s liquid at room temperature and coconut may affect the overall flavor. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Made it. Love it! I do find the presentation way too long for me, with hints, shopping,too many photos and adds. For those of us who cook daily a shorter version is much appreciated. ❤️
Hi, Lori, Thanks so much and happy you love this recipe. For people who don’t need the detailed information, you can “Jump to Recipe,” or use the Table of Contents to jump around to only get the information you’re looking for. I have a lot of really great cooks that come to my site, but a lot of people who are trying to be better cooks read my blog, too. How to satisfy everyone is certainly a conundrum, but if I don’t put the information in my post, someone is going to ask the question anyway. Thanks again!
This is delicious! I never thought my husband would request a beetroot salad but this recipe won him over. Thank you!
Hi, Veronica, Thanks so much and so happy we were able to win him over! Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate. Thanks again!
This salad was amazing definitely will have again, thank you!
Hi, Gina, Thanks so very much and happy you enjoyed! Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment.
I was excited for days after reading this recipe! The results did not let me down. The combination of beets, walnuts, goat cheese, and balsamic dressing was so delicious 😋. Loved it and will make it again.
This maybe too much info for some, but being a nurse, I usually say too much! This salad should come with a warning to give you a heads up! I ate a couple of slices of beets after roasting them and probably 3/4 of a small beet on my salad the next day. Gotta tell you that deep beet red color comes back out in everything and it is shocker so be ready!
Thanks so much and so happy you enjoyed!! Ha! Yes, I know consumption of beets can come back to surprise you! Thanks again and I appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment.
I don’t have walnuts. Can I use pecans?
Hi, Mona, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, of course! I’ll add that to the list of substitutions. Thanks again for asking!