Beet Salad

5 from 4 votes

My favorite Beet Salad combines caramelized roasted beets, fresh citrus, creamy goat or feta cheese, and sweet candied almonds. Drizzle with a tangy citrus-balsamic vinaigrette for the perfect finish!

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner, Vegetarian

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Beet Salad

Servings: as a side

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $7.12

Equipment

Ingredients

Beets

2 to 4 red beets 1 pound and 4 ounces
Olive oil for roasting
1/2 teaspoon salt for roasting
1/4 teaspoon pepper for roasting

Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
2 clementine oranges (2 tbsp juice and 2 teaspoons zest)
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper

Almonds (Optional)

1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Salad

Goat cheese or feta cheese, I add 1/3 cup but add to preference
2 clementine oranges
3 tangelo oranges or more clementines
7 cups and 6 ounces mixed greens lettuce we use 50/50 blend spinach and spring mix leaves

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a large 15x21-inch sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside (see note 1). Remove the tops and stems of beets and peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes (see photos in the post for tips). Add beet cubes to the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil plus salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat the beets and spread in an even layer so beets aren’t overlapping. Bake 15 minutes, remove and toss, and bake 15 more minutes. If needed, toss again and bake for another 5–10 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through a beet. Remove from oven.
While beets are roasting, combine all dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth jar. Seal and shake well until combined; you may need to stir the honey in if it settles at the bottom. Toss chopped beets with 1 tablespoon of dressing, cover, and place in fridge to marinate while preparing the rest of the salad.
While the beets cool, prepare the candied almonds. In a large pan, add sliced almonds and sugar. Turn heat to medium-high and stir near constantly. The sugar will begin to melt, become a sticky liquid, and stick to the almonds, about 3–4 minutes—watch carefully to avoid burning. As soon as the sugar begins to melt, remove from heat, keep stirring for another minute, then spread the candied almonds onto a sheet of parchment paper and let harden. Once hard, break apart.
Either peel clementines and break into segments or use a sharp knife to cut off the peels and thinly slice. Either works great!
Add lettuce to a large bowl or platter. Top with the diced cooled beets, citrus, sliced and candied almonds, and goat cheese. (see note 2.) Drizzle dressing on to your preference; you may not want it all (I use about 3/4 of it. Leftover dressing stays good for up to a week in the fridge and is great on veggies/other salads.) Gently toss to combine, taste for any additional seasoning or if you want to add more dressing, and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Note 1: Beets can stain your hands, nails, cutting board, and pan. I recommend using a dark plastic cutting board, lining sheet pan with parchment, and if desired, handling beets with gloves. (If you wash your hands often and quickly after handling beets, the color usually washes out well.)

Storage: Once dressed, this salad needs to be eaten and enjoyed promptly. The dressing wilts the lettuce and softens the fruit. I’d recommend only dressing what you will enjoy the same day. Store the dressing and salad components separately.

Nutrition