Roasted Beets & Goat Cheese Salad
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Roasted beet and goat cheese salad: whole beets slow-roasted in foil until sweet and tender, sliced over mixed greens with creamy goat cheese and a simple lemon-olive oil dressing. Earthy, tangy, and light.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
100 minREADY
110 minA bistro classic for good reason, this salad pairs sweet, earthy beets with cool, tangy goat cheese over a tumble of crisp greens. The magic is in roasting rather than boiling the beets.
Wrapped in foil with a slick of olive oil, the beets steam in their own skins, concentrating their natural sugars instead of leaching them into a pot of water. The result is deeper, sweeter, and more intense.
Once they’ve cooled, the skins rub right off and the beets slice into jewel-toned rounds. A creamy crumble of goat cheese is the natural counterpoint, its bright tartness cutting through all that earthy sweetness.
Keep the dressing simple, just good olive oil, a few drops of lemon, salt, and pepper, so the two main players stay center stage. Fan the beets, pile the greens, and serve.
Kitchen Tips
- Roast the beets whole and unpeeled in foil. Keeping the skins on traps moisture and steam, so the flesh stays sweet and tender, not dried out.
- Wear gloves or rub the skins off under cool running water once roasted. Beet juice stains hands and cutting boards quickly.
- Let the beets cool before slicing, or their heat will wilt the greens and melt the goat cheese into a smear.
- Dress the greens and beets separately so the beets’ color doesn’t bleed and turn the whole salad pink.
Variations
- Scatter toasted walnuts or candied pecans over the top for crunch.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze or add orange segments for a sweeter, brighter version.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400.
Generously coat each beet with olive oil and individually wrap them in aluminum foil.
Bake for one hour or until soft. Depending on the size of the beets this may take up to an hour and a half.
When done, allow them to cool, and then slice into rounds.
Mix the greens and goat cheese.
Apply olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to the greens and beet slices.
Fan out the beets on one side of the plate and place the greens on the other.
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