Roasted Beet Salad

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

This roasted 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 beaten! Tie it all together with the smooth and tangy balsamic vinaigrette and you will be hooked.

Roasted beet salad is a simple but classic recipe that is full of flavor and deliciousness! This is a great salad to make for a lunch, side dish, or appetizer for your next party. Everyone will be raving about this favorite beet salad recipe when you make it!

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! The possibilities are endless!

• 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 it is not impossible. Pick medium-sized beets that are similar to size for best cooking. You can make this using roasted beets or pickled beets.
• 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 for the cheese. They are both white, creamy, and soft cheese that melts in your mouth.
• 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! It is rich and creamy with all the flavor.

How to Make Roasted Beet Salad

Making roasted beets is the first step to preparing and assembling the salad. Once the roasted beets are made, prepare your salad and all the toppings. Having the roasted beets on top of the salad and throughout each bite gives that added taste, texture, and flavor we all love!

1. Rinse and clean – Rinse beets and cut off the leafy stems and bottoms so they sit flat.
2. Prepare – 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.
3. Roast – 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. For more in-depth instructions, try our easy oven roasted beets recipe.
4. Refrigerate – 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.
5. Slice – When completely cool, cut the beets into wedges, cubes, or slices.
6. Assemble salad – In a large bowl, toss arugula and/or baby greens with a little balsamic vinaigrette. Keep the greens in the bowl or transfer them to a serving platter. Arrange beets over the top then add sliced pear, goat cheese, prosciutto, and top with pecans (or walnuts).
7. Dressing – Add a little drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette (or a reduced balsamic vinegar) over the top if desired before serving.

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.

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

This easy-to-make homemade dressing is just what you need to cover your greens and beets. It is light and tasty! Drizzle over top the salad and use it over and over again when making your favorite salads!

1. Shake – Place all the ingredients in a pint-sized jar, cover tightly with the lid, and shake until well mixed.
2. Blender – 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.

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. These are all fresh ingredients that blend well with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing too!

• Shallots – These are similar to onions but with a different shape, texture, and taste. You will still prepare them the same way as an onion.
• Avocado – Slice avocado into long slices or small chunks.
• Orange or blood orange slices – These are delicious and have a fresh and fruity flavor.
• Walnuts – Substitute the walnuts for the pecans and have another flavor of crunch. 
• Fresh mint – Chop the mint into smaller pieces and sprinkle over top the salad as a garnish.
• Microgreens – These are always fun to add to salads for extra texture. Microgreens don’t have too much flavor but they are pretty in appearance and add some extra nutrients to the salad.
• Pomegranate seeds – Bite down on a fun seed with a refreshing flavor in every bite. These are small and beautiful in color.
• Apple slices – Thinly sliced tart apple slices such as granny smith, honey crisp, or Braeburn apples are great choices of sweet apples in this roasted beet salad recipe.

“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!”

-Allyssa

More Flavorful Salads

Make your salad more fun with these flavorful salad recipes that we all love! These are filled with fruit, nuts, all the lettuce, and the perfect salad dressing that pairs just right. Try all these different types of salads for a fun side dish, lunch, or simple dinner!

• Olive Garden Salad (copycat recipe)
• Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad (copycat recipe)
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Fresh Mango Avocado Coleslaw
• Broccoli Bacon Salad
• Harvest Pear Salad
• Waldorf Salad
• Panera Bread Fuji Apple Salad (copycat recipe)