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This Roasted Beet Salad is a must-try, even for those on the fence about beets. The flavors and textures are absolute perfection! I can’t wait for you to try it!
The Salad That Turned Me Into a Beet Lover
I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t really start liking beets until about five years ago. I don’t know why, but for some crazy reason I always turned my nose up at them. That all changed after I tried a beet salad at a local café (very similar to this recipe, actually). It was so good.
Something about the roasted beets with tangy goat cheese, sweet pears, crunchy praline pecans, and salty prosciutto was like an explosion of flavors I had never experienced before. Now I find myself ordering a beet salad anytime it’s on the menu. Beets are delicious! I just wish I would have realized it sooner.
Once I got over my fear of eating beets, I finally ventured into preparing them at home. Now I make roasted beets and pickled beets all the time. They’re surprisingly inexpensive, incredibly easy to prepare, and such a great way to add flavor to salads and sides. If you’ve been hesitant to try beets (like I was) and are ready to give them a chance, this salad is a great place to start!
🩷 Erica
Key Ingredients
- 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: I included one of my favorite simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing to the recipe below, but any balsamic dressing would work great with this salad. You can also use strawberry vinaigrette or a good poppy seed dressing (try the poppy seed dressing from our Christmas Salad recipe, so good!)
More Salad Topping Ideas
One of my favorite things about beet salad is how easy it is to change it up. Over the years, I’ve tried all kinds of toppings, and beets pair well with so many flavors. I love adding thinly sliced shallots for a little bite, orange or blood orange slices for brightness, or crisp apple slices for crunch. Fresh mint adds a light, refreshing touch, and microgreens make the salad all fancy. Pomegranate seeds are another favorite. They add a pop of color and just the right balance of sweet and tart. I usually mix and match depending on what I have on hand or what’s in season.
How to Make Roasted Beet Salad Step-by-Step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse beets and cut off the leafy stems and bottoms so they sit flat.
- 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.
- Wrap tightly in foil and 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.
- 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.
- Assemble salad with arugula, sliced beets, sliced pear, goat cheese, prosciutto, and top with pecans (or walnuts). Add a little drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette over the top before serving.
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.
Tips for Making Roasted Beet Salad
Go lighter on the dressing than you think – Roasted beets already have a lot of flavor so go light on the dressing and add more as you need. You don’t want to overwhelm all the natural flavors of this salad.
Try a different dressing – Balsamic vinaigrette is usually my go-to for this salad but sometimes I like to switch it up and use something sweeter like poppy seed dressing or a raspberry or strawberry vinaigrette. If you want to go really simple you can even just use a drizzle of honey.
Make ahead – Roasted beets store really well so you can make the roasted beets ahead of time and use them on your salad later. The salad comes together super fast if the beets are made in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, beets don’t need to be peeled before roasting. It’s best to roast them with the skins on, then rub the skins off after they’re tender and slightly cooled. The skins come off easily and help keep the beets moist while roasting.
Yes. You can roast the beets up to several days in advance and store them in the refrigerator. For best results, assemble the salad just before serving so the greens stay fresh and the cheese doesn’t get warm.
Peppery greens like arugula are a classic choice, but mixed baby greens, spinach, or spring mix all work well. Choose greens that can hold up to the dressing without wilting too quickly.
More Sweet and Savory Salads
- Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad (copycat recipe)
- Fresh Mango Avocado Coleslaw
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Waldorf Salad
Have you tried this Roasted Beet Salad? I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how you liked it. And don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes! 📸
Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 red beets
- 3 golden beets
- olive oil
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 3-4 cups arugula mix, or spring salad mix
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, Feta cheese also works great
- 1/2 pear, sliced thin
- 4 ounces prosciutto
- 1/3 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 (or your favorite vinaigrette dressing)
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey, you can add more if you like it sweeter. Taste as you go.
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rinse the beets and trim off the leafy stems and the bottoms so they can sit flat.
- Place each beet on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, making sure the beet is lightly coated, then season with salt and pepper.
- Wrap the foil tightly around each beet and place them on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 60-90 minutes, or until the beets are fork-tender. If they aren’t quite soft enough, rewrap them and return to the oven until done.
- Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool until they are easy to handle. Using gloves, rub off the skins (they should slide off easily). This is even easier under cool running water. Transfer the peeled beets to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Once fully cooled, cut the beets into wedges, cubes, or slices.
- In a large bowl, toss the arugula or baby greens with a small amount of balsamic vinaigrette. Leave the greens in the bowl or transfer them to a serving platter. Top with the beets, sliced pear, goat cheese, prosciutto, and pecans or walnuts. Drizzle with a little more balsamic vinaigrette or reduced balsamic vinegar, if desired, just before serving.
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.
Equipment
- Aluminum Foil (for roasting beets)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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