Beet Salad with Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

5 from 2 votes
3 Comments

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Beet salad is as delicious as it is colorful! You will love the bright, yet earthy flavors combined with the tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

Top view of a beet salad with toppings next to a jar of homemade balsamic vinaigrette

Beet Salad

This beet salad recipe is full of delicious flavors and textures. The earthy, nutty flavor of the beets combined with the smooth goat cheese, sweet pears, and salty prosciutto… this combination can’t be beat! Tie it all together with the smooth and tangy balsamic vinaigrette and you will be hooked.

Benefits of Beets

Beets (also known as “Beetroot”) are incredibly good for you. They are actually considered to be a “superfood”! They are chock full of vitamins and nutrients including potassium, Vitamin C, folate, betaine, and magnesium. According to Health.com, beets can reduce blood pressure and anemia and improve circulation and cognitive function.

Roasted beets that were wrapped in foil and have been uncovered to show doneness

How to Roast Beets

Roasting beets is easier than it seems. It reminds me a lot of baking a potato. You simply scrub the beets clean then cover them in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Wrap them tightly in foil and bake until done. When they are cooked through (about 60 minutes), cool until easy to handle and rub away the skins. Slice or dice and serve!

Pro Tip:

Use gloves when handling or cutting beets! Beet juice will stain your hands for days. It is also wise to wear an apron while handling beets because the beets will definitely stain your clothes.

Beet Salad Ingredients

Get creative with your beet salad and add as little or as much of each of these ingredients as you like! Use the recipe below as a guide but make this salad to your taste! Here are the ingredients we used:

Raw golden beets, red beets, prosciutto, pecans, salad topping, a pear, goat cheese, and mixed Spring greens on a countertop
  • Beets – Both red beets and golden beets. You can use all of just one kind if you want. The golden beets can be tricky to find but aren’t impossible.
  • Arugula and Spring Greens Mix – Use whatever base you like. I like the bitterness of arugula but sometimes it can be hard to find on it’s own so a Spring salad mix works great.
  • Goat cheese – Feta can also be used
  • Sliced Pears – I love the crunchy flavor of fresh pears. It also adds a sweetness to the salad that I feel it needs.
  • Prosciutto – This is totally optional. It’s just a nice, subtle way to add some protein to your salad. It pairs perfectly with the beets, goat cheese and pears.
  • Pecans (or walnuts) – Pecans or walnuts with add an earthy flavor and also give this salad a nice crunch. I like using pralines or candied walnuts to add another sweet element. 
  • Salad Topping – Totally optional. I like the mix from Costco that has the pipits, sunflower seeds, and craisins.
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette – This simple vinaigrette can be made in less than 5 minutes. Check out the recipe below!

Beet Salad Dressing Ideas

For this recipe we use a balsamic vinaigrette but you can also use other kinds of dressings depending on the flavor profile you are going for. You can do a poppy seed dressing, cranberry vinaigrette, or even strawberry vinaigrette. 

Balsamic vinaigrette being poured onto a beet salad

How Do You Add Flavor to Beets?

You can add some orange zest or peel to the beets when roasting or you can use a citrus-infused olive oil. If you want more of a pickled beet, you can cut up the beets and soak them in a bowl with equal parts apple cider vinegar, water, and sugar and refrigerate overnight or until ready to use.

A fork holding a beet above a beet salad

More Salad Topping Ideas:

There are lots of topping ideas for beet salad that go well with beets. Here are a few more ideas to complement this flavorful salad:

  • shallots
  • avocado 
  • orange or blood orange slices
  • walnuts (in place of the pecans) 
  • fresh mint
  • Microgreens
  • pomegranate seeds
  • thinly sliced tart apple slices (such as granny Smith, honey crisp, or Braeburn)

More Flavorful Salads

Top view of a beet salad with toppings next to a jar of homemade balsamic vinaigrette

Beet Salad with Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

5 from 2 votes
Beet salad is as delicious as it is colorful! You will love the bright, yet earthy flavors combined with the tangy balsamic vinaigrette.
Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 red beets
  • 3 golden beets
  • olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups arugula (or Spring salad mix)
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese (or Feta cheese)
  • 1/2 pear
  • 4 ounces prosciutto (or to taste)
  • cup pecans (plain or praline)
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seed and dried cranberry mix (I used the organic salad mix topping from Costco)
  • balsamic vinaigrette (to taste)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Rinse beets and cut off the leafy stems and bottoms so they sit flat.
    A raw beet with the stem and bottom cut off for roasting
  • Place each beet on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with enough olive oil to cover the beet. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to taste and wrap tightly with the foil.
    A raw beet covered in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 60-90 minutes or until fork-tender. If you pull it out and it's not soft enough, simply re-wrap and return to the oven until done.
    Roasted beets that were wrapped in foil and have been uncovered to show doneness
  • Remove beets from the oven and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Using gloves, rub the tough skin away from the beet. It should come off easily. It also helps to do this under running cold water. Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • When completely cool, cut the beets into wedges, cubes, or slices.
  • In a large bowl, toss arugula and/or baby greens with a little balsamic vinaigrette. Keep the greens in the bowl or transfer to a serving platter. Arrange beets over the top then add sliced pear, goat cheese, prosciutto and top with pecans (or walnuts).
    Top view of a beet salad with toppings next to a jar of homemade balsamic vinaigrette
  • Add a little drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette (or a reduced balsamic vinegar) over the top if desired before serving.
    Balsamic vinaigrette being poured onto a beet salad

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette

  • Place all the ingredients in a pint-sized jar, cover tightly with the lid, and shake until well mixed.
    You can also blend all the ingredients in a blender or whisk them together in a bowl before adding to the jar. To store, refrigerate in the sealed jar for up to 2 weeks.
    A jar of homemade balsamic vinaigrette next to a plate of beet salad

Nutrition Information

Calories: 392kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 6gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 426mgPotassium: 415mgFiber: 4gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 376IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 2mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

More about Erica Walker

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!