This beet salad with goat cheese is fresh, flavorful, and super easy to make. Use roasted or pre-cooked beets and balsamic dressing for a crowd-pleasing side.
Growing up I used to think beets were boring: it wasn’t until young adulthood that I made a batch of oven roasted beets and tossed them with goat cheese and a simple balsamic vinaigrette. The flavor and texture contrasts were so satisfying, it solidified this into my “salads to make on repeat” category.
I’m telling you: the earthy sweetness of the beets, creamy goat cheese, sweet tart balsamic vinaigrette and crunchy pistachios will make just above everyone want another bite. It’s a versatile side that works with everything from soup to pasta, and you can prep everything ahead, making it perfect for both weeknight dinners and special occasions!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh, irresistible flavors: Sweet roasted beets, tangy goat cheese, and bright vinaigrette make layers of flavor
- Flexible: It works with freshly roasted beets, Instant Pot beets, or even pre-cooked beets from the store as a time saver
- Make-ahead friendly: Roast the beets up to 5 days ahead and make the dressing up to 1 week in advance; assemble the salad right before serving
5-Star Reader Review
“This was great! I had leftover cooked beets, and this was the perfect way to use them up. The best part by far was the delicious balsamic dressing. Thanks for sharing!” -– Josianne
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for this salad recipe:
- Beets: I like to use red beets for their color, but golden beets also work (or a combination). You can roast them fresh or use pre-cooked beets to make it quick!
- Goat Cheese: Beets and goat cheese are a classic flavor pairing, so a small log of chèvre is my preference here. If you prefer a saltier, more crumbly option, feta cheese works too. Blue cheese is another classic pairing.
- Shallots: I like the mild, slightly sweet flavor of shallots in a salad, but thinly sliced red onion, green onion, or chives are a fine substitute.
- Baby Greens: A mix of baby greens works well as the base, or baby arugula adds a peppery note (see my Arugula Beet Salad).
- Pistachios: The bright green color is a nice contrast and adds a crunch. Chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts are great if you want to mix it up.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette: My simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette is made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Alex had the idea of tossing the beets into the dressing, which gives it a beautiful pink color.
How to Make This Beet Salad
Here’s my quick tutorial on how to make beet salad: you can cook your own beets, or buy them precooked. Many stores now carry pre-cooked beets (Love Beets is a popular brand). Simply drain, slice, and use them directly in the salad.
Roasted Beets Method
This is my favorite method because of the caramelized flavor. Preheat the oven to 425°F and rub the beets with olive oil, leaving about an inch of the beet greens attached.
Let them cool to room temperature, then slip off the skins and slice into wedges. For details, see my guide on how to cook beets or oven roasted beets.
Instant Pot Beets Method
For an even quicker way to cook beets, use your pressure cooker. Place beets on the trivet with 1 cup water and cook on high pressure for 12-20 minutes depending on size. This method is detailed in my Instant Pot beets recipe, which is so much quicker!
Assembling the Salad
Make the balsamic vinaigrette using balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and seasonings. If you use my method of tossing the sliced beets with the vinaigrette first, they’ll turn the dressing a vibrant pink color and pick up extra flavor.
Arrange the greens on a plate or patter and top with the beets, crumble goat cheese over everything, add thinly sliced shallots, and finish with chopped pistachios. Drizzle dressing over the top.
Pro Tip To Reduce Staining
Beets stain easily, so you can wear gloves when handling them and use a paper towel to rub off the skins. Working with slightly cooled beets makes them easier to handle. Make sure to wash your cutting board right away and wipe up any counter spills.
Serving Suggestions
This beet salad recipe is a terrific fall salad or winter salad, or a side to pair with pizza or Italian recipes. Here are a few more ideas:
- Soups: I love it as a side dish alongside hearty soups like lentil soup or wild rice soup.
- Seafood or Chicken: It’s fantastic with chicken piccata or chicken paillard, baked salmon, or shrimp pasta.
- Plant-Based Mains: It’s great alongside vegetarian lasagna, eggplant Parmesan, or vegan meatballs.
- Starter: It’s great as a starter for holiday meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
You can roast beets up to 5 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The balsamic vinaigrette also keeps well for up to 2 weeks.
Assemble the salad right before serving. Don’t dress the greens in advance: they’ll wilt if dressed too far ahead.
Leftovers keep for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator, but leftovers often become soggy so they’re best eaten as soon as possible.
Dietary Notes
This beet salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Greek beet salad typically features boiled or roasted beets with a simple dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic. It’s often served at room temperature with crumbled feta cheese and sometimes includes onions.
Yes! Using both red beets and golden beets makes a great presentation. Just be aware that red beets will stain everything they touch, so I recommend keeping them separate until the final assembly. Dress the golden beets separately to preserve their bright color, or mix them only right before serving.
The biggest mistakes I see are overcooking or undercooking the beets, and dressing the greens too far in advance.
I handle this by dressing the sliced beets separately from the other ingredients, then assembling everything just before serving. Using a paper towel to pat beets dry after peeling can also help. If you’re using both red and golden beets, dress and store them separately until plating.
Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Pin RecipeThis beet salad with goat cheese is fresh, flavorful, and super easy to make. Use roasted or pre-cooked beets and balsamic dressing for a crowd-pleasing side.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (Instant Pot timing)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasted or Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 medium beets
- 1 recipe Best Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot
- 5 ounces (8 cups) baby greens
- 2 ounces soft goat cheese
- ¼ cup roasted salted pistachios, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Cook the beets: Use our Oven Roasted Beets or Instant Pot Beets method.
- Slice the beets: Slice the beets into wedges. Take proper precautions as beet juice stains easily).
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, make the Best Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Toss the beets with the dressing (optional): Place the beets in the bowl with the dressing and stir. The beets will change the color of the dressing to a bright pink color and infuse a little sweetness. If you’d rather keep the balsamic vinaigrette color, you can skip this step.
- Assemble the salad: Thinly slice the shallot. Place the greens on a plate. Remove the beets from the dressing bowl and place them on top. Add crumbles of goat cheese, shallot, and chopped pistachios. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Notes
Cheese options: Goat cheese (chèvre) creates a creamier texture than feta cheese. For a sharper, saltier flavor, use crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese (gorgonzola) instead.
Nut substitutions: Pecans, almonds, or walnuts work in place of pistachios.
Make-ahead: Roast the beets up to 5 days ahead and store refrigerated. Prepare the vinaigrette up to 1 week ahead. Assemble the salad just before serving for best texture.
Using pre-cooked beets: This significantly reduces prep time. Simply drain, slice, and use them directly in the recipe.
Vinegar options: Red wine vinegar can replace balsamic vinegar for a tangier, less sweet salad dressing.
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/9N3QmhZ
0 comments:
Post a Comment