Beet Goat Cheese Salad (Printable)

Roasted beets, creamy goat cheese, walnuts, and fresh greens come together with a tangy balsamic dressing.

# Components:

→ Salad

01 - 3 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed
02 - 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
03 - ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
04 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, spring mix)

→ Dressing

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 teaspoon honey
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Allow to cool slightly, peel, and cut into wedges or cubes.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified.
04 - Arrange mixed greens in a large bowl or serving platter. Top with roasted beet pieces, crumbled goat cheese, and walnuts.
05 - Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving. Toss gently or present as-is for a composed look.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been cooking all day, even though the active work takes barely 15 minutes.
  • The combination of warm beets and cool greens creates this wonderful temperature contrast that keeps things interesting.
  • You can make the dressing and roast the beets ahead, then assemble everything just before people sit down.
02 -
  • Do not add the dressing until just before serving, or your greens will wilt and the salad loses its brightness and crunch.
  • Tasting the dressing on its own before dressing the salad saves you from underseasoning, which is easy to do when the salad is already assembled.
03 -
  • Wrapping beets individually in foil means they steam evenly and are much easier to peel than boiling, which tends to make them watery.
  • Emulsifying the dressing properly with a whisk instead of just shaking it in a jar makes a real difference in how it coats the greens and beets.
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