Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts

5 from 1 vote

2 hours

Here’s how to elevate this earthy root vegetable to new elegant heights! Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts is easy and much of it can be done ahead of time.

Perfect on the side with Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower Leek Puree for a showstopping holiday meal!

Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts in oval serving dish with serving spoon.

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Even though I’ve always loved vegetables, I was afraid of beets as a kid. Then, eating dinner one night at an employer’s home some years back, I had a bowl of boiled beets placed in front of me. I had no choice but to try them.

I instantly fell in love and wondered why I had put off trying this sweet, earthy vegetable for so long.

Ever since, I’ve gone out of my way to enjoy them every which way: Pickled, roasted and yes, even boiled. My absolute favorite way however is roasted. That’s when the earthy sweetness of beets really shines!

Add shallots roasted alongside, a sweet-sour red wine glaze, Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts and you’ve got a truly special roasted beets side dish that elevates beets to rock star status!

Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts in serving dish on frayed napkin.

How to Make Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this beet recipe along with how to prep. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredients for Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts.

Ingredient Notes:

Beets: I tested this recipe twice. The first time was with beets that had the tops removed before their arrival at the grocery store and which may even have been stored for a while and another time with beets that still had their tops. The flavor of the beets that still had tops was far superior. Do try to use fresh red or yellow beets with the tops. (Use the greens in a salad, soup or sauteed.)
Dry Red Wine: You don’t have to use your finest red here, but do use a dry red wine you would enjoy drinking. Because the glaze gets reduced, you’ll only concentrate the flavor of a bad wine. Here are more tips on cooking with wine from Fine Cooking.
Vegetable Broth: I recently discovered Kitchen Accomplice Vegetable Broth Concentrate and really like it. You can stir up just what you need and refrigerate the rest.
Walnuts: To save time, purchase pre-chopped walnuts. In fact, I prefer them for a recipe like this because any fine particles have been sifted out so you won’t get that all over your beets and shallots.
Gorgonzola Cheese: Although I’m a blue cheese fanatic, I had never tried a blue cheese with beets until I made this recipe. There too, I don’t know why I waited so long! Goat cheese was always my go-to cheese with beets so if you’re not a blue cheese fan, use goat cheese.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Gather and prep all the ingredients. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Place the beets in a roasting pan large enough to hold them in one layer and drizzle with some of the olive oil. Pour ½ cup of water into the bottom of the baking dish/roasting pan.

Ten beets in white roasting pan drizzled with olive oil before being roasted.

Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 45 minutes.
Toss the shallots with the remaining olive oil and spread them over the top of the beets.
Cover again and roast for another 30-35 minutes or until you can easily pierce the beets with a small paring knife.

Partially roasted beets with uncooked shallots in white roasting pan.

Roasted beets and shallots in white roasting pan.

Let cool to the touch then peel and quarter the beets. If the beets are large, cut them into 6-8 wedges so they’re all of similar size.

Roasted beets and shallots in glass bowls.

Combine the red wine, vegetable broth, balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan or skillet large enough to hold all the beets and shallots.
Bring it to a boil, then simmer on low and reduce it by approximately half, being careful to not allow the glaze to burn around the sides of the pan.

Glaze before being reduced in stainless steel pan.

Glaze after being reduced in stainless steel pan.

Transfer the roasted beets to the glaze and continue simmering on low until the beets are heated back through and a nice glaze forms.
Add the shallots and stir to coat.

Beets coated with glaze in stainless steel pan.

Beets and shallots coated with glaze in stainless steel pan.

Transfer to a serving bowl and pour any remaining glaze in the pan over the beets and shallots.
Top with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts and serve!
MAKE AHEAD: Beets and shallots can be roasted 1-2 days ahead of time. You can peel the beets ahead of time or before proceeding. Either way, they’ll keep fine. You can also make the glaze 1-2 days ahead of time. Increase the amounts by ¼ to account for any evaporation that occurs from reheating.

Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

For another level of flavor, lightly toast the walnuts. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them because they can go from zero to burned in the blink of an eye! You can also do it in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop, but the oven toasts them more evenly.
To prevent the stains on your hand that come from handling beets, wear disposable gloves when peeling. Otherwise, the stains disappear within a day or so with regular handwashing.

Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts in serving dish.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How far in advance can I roast the beets and shallots?

You can roast the beets and shallots 1-2 days in advance. Store peeled or unpeeled; either way they’ll keep fine.

Can I make the glaze ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the glaze 1-2 days ahead of time. However, I would recommend increasing the glaze ingredient amounts by ¼th to account for any additional evaporation that occurs from reheating the glaze.