Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
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Perfect for dinner parties or jazzing up a weeknight meal (try topping it with steak, salmon, or chicken for a complete dish), my roasted beet salad looks as amazing as it tastes.
This beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts is my go-to dinner party salad. I don’t think I’ve ever served it without sending a few people home with the recipe. Years ago, I would roast my own beets, but high-quality vacuum-packed roasted beets, such as Love Beets, are now available in the produce section of most supermarkets, which makes the salad a breeze to prepare. Be sure to dress the greens at the last minute so they don’t get soggy, and top the salad with the beets as opposed to mixing them in, as tossing the beets with the salad will turn everything pink! Want to make the salad a complete meal? Try topping it with steak, grilled chicken or pan-seared salmon.
Table of Contents
“Absolutely delicious 💯 The dressing is superb. I follow the recipe to the T, I’ve made this 3x already this week. YUM!”
What You’ll Need to Make Roasted Beet Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
- Honey: Adds subtle sweetness to the dressing and balances the acidity of the vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard: Provides a tangy flavor and helps emulsify the dressing.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Adds acidity and depth of flavor.
- Shallots: Infuses a subtle onion flavor into the vinaigrette.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhances the overall taste of the dressing.
- Vegetable Oil: Provides a smooth texture and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Mixed Greens: Serve as the base of the salad, providing freshness and color.
- Vacuum-Packed Roasted Beets: Offer earthy sweetness and vibrant color to the salad. I use store-bought but if you’d like to roast them yourself, see the note at the bottom of the recipe.
- Walnuts: Add a satisfying crunch and nutty flavor.
- Goat Cheese: Adds creaminess and tanginess, complementing the sweetness of the beets and the crunchiness of the walnuts.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper.
Whisk to combine. Then, whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. (Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a jar, cover with the lid, and shake vigorously to blend.)
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again. Arrange the greens on a large platter or divide onto plates, then top with beets, walnuts, and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The dressing can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Just give it a good shake before using it on the salad.
This salad is really flexible so you can tailor it to your preferences or to what you have on hand. Swap out the beets for strawberries or sliced apples, use crumbled feta instead of goat cheese, and pecans, almonds, or pistachios in place of the walnuts. Each tweak will bring its own unique flavor and texture to the salad.
Yes, you can definitely make the beets ahead of time. Roasted beets keep nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. And if you’d like to freeze leftover beets, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or foil and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before using. If you’re a big beet fan and looking for other ways to use them, you’ll love (and maybe even obsess over) my balsamic-glazed roasted beets.
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Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
Perfect for dinner parties or jazzing up a weeknight meal (try topping it with steak, salmon, or chicken for a complete dish), my roasted beet salad looks as amazing as it tastes.
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons minced shallots
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Salad
- 10 ounces mixed greens
- About ½ lb vacuum-packed roasted beets, cut into wedges (see note)
- ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 3 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
For the Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. (Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a jar, cover with the lid, and shake vigorously to blend.) Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
For the Salad
- Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again. Arrange the greens on a large platter or divide onto plates, then top with beets, walnuts and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
- Note: If you'd like to roast your own beets, you'll need 1 bunch of medium beets (about 3). Preheat oven to 425°F and set an oven rack to the middle position. Wipe or scrub the beets clean, then trim stems down to one-inch (leave "tails" on). Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then wrap foil around the beets to form a neat packet. Roast directly on a rack in the middle of the oven until tender, about 1 hour. Test for doneness by piercing the largest beet with a knife. If it enters easily, it's done. Unwrap the beets and let sit until cool enough to handle. Use your hands or a paring knife to peel the skin, then cut into wedges.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The vinaigrette can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Before serving, let sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then shake to re-emulsify.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 242
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Sugar: 9g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 322mg
- Cholesterol: 7mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Another great recipe from Once Upon a Chef that I will serve again and again. Thank you so much, Jenn! I avoid using foil unless absolutely necessary for environmental reasons. If others share that concern, here’s another way to cook the beets for this recipe: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, cut off the tops and roots, and peel the beets. Cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks, toss with 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and roast for approx 45 minutes or until beets are tender.
I agree about environmental waste, so I wonder if, instead of foil, these could be roasted in an oven proof casserole dish with a cover.
Hi Kathy, That should work – enjoy!
Hi, your recipe looks great. I don’t have any shallots. Is there anything l could use instead. Thanks
Hi Stacey, You could use an onion (preferably red), but chop it very finely – it will be stronger in flavor so I’d use a little less.
Hi Jenn, l actually had some spring onions and used them. It’s a great sauce and l can’t wait to make it with the proper ingredients next time. Thanks.
This salad is amazing! I love a good beet salad and will order it any time I see it on a menu, but have never tried to make one myself. This came together so quickly and easily. As many other reviewers commented, the dressing is out of this world and perfect for this salad.
I do have one question, you don’t mention toasting the walnuts. Should they be toasted or raw?
Glad you liked this! I don’t toast the walnuts in this, but you definitely can. 🙂
My go to salad dressing. It’s simple and delicious. Family and friends love it. Thanks Jenn!
Love this recipe, the dressing is amazing. Made this for friends last night and they couldn’t stop raving about the whole way through eating it! This is my new go-to beet and goat cheese salad, the dressing is definitely what makes it!
Hi Jenn,
Would this salad work with arugula, or a mix of arugula and romaine?
Thanks,
Mary
Definitely, it would be excellent with arugula. Please LMK how it turns out!
This dressing recipe is outstanding… I’ve made it three times during the past two weeks. Everyone has really liked it. For the salad I cooked the beets and diced them ahead of time – so handy to pull out of the fridge and put salads together. We toasted our walnuts in a bit of sugar for an extra bit of “special”. I intend to try more of your recipes very soon.
Love the dressing – it has been my go to all summer! I’ve been on a roasted beet and walnut craze and this was perfect! Thank you.
Wonderful salad, but I couldn’t find goat cheese, so I found a substitute recipe which was a combination of cream cheese and feta, Worked great!
I love this salad. It is my go-to salad to impress people! I made it for our company’s healthy lunch challenge and it was the most favorite salad!
Made this last night for some special guests. They absolutely loved it. Thank you, you never fail… again didn’t have to change a thing. Brilliant.
Sooo good. I could eat the dressing by the spoonful. Perfect compliment to the beets and goat cheese.
I always use your recipes. If I am in a recipe rut, I come here and always find something amazing! Everything I have tried of yours is just delicious. From desserts to salad.
This is another winner for sure, perfect for winter too.
Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us!
I am going to make this for Christmas, it sounds amazing. Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil for the vinaigrette?
Hi Tamara, I use vegetable oil when I’m looking for a neutral flavor. You can use olive oil, but the flavor might be a little strong.
Would canola oil work?
Yes, canola oil will work nicely. 🙂
Loved this recipe. Great vinaigrette that I use in other salads as well
Doesn’t say what temperature to roast the beets. Also, if they are wrapped in foil, doesn’t this steam them instead roasting them?
Hi Claudia, The beets get roasted at 425°F. And they really don’t get steamed as there’s no liquid (besides a thin coating of olive oil) to steam them. Essentially, this is just a method to get them cooked through before peeling them. Hope you enjoy!
I love that this salad is so simple and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients.
The dressing is very flavorful and a no fail recipe.
You can adjust the ingredient quantities to your liking.
Absolutely delicious!
This salad is a no-fail go to recipe that you can assemble last minute (as long as the dressing and beets are prepped ahead of time). It also packs easily for a pot-luck. The real star is the salad dressing. It’s a hit every time– and so easy. … And I just have to say that I’ve been making recipes from this blog for many years and I believe that the photos and instructions ahead of the recipe have been a huge, warm culinary education. Thank you! The reliability rate of these recipes is 100%!!
Tried it. Loved it. So did my guests. And I’m not even too keen on beets.
Love beets with goat cheese! I like to use arugula for the greens.
Thank you for this recipe. I go to it regularly and am always sad when the dressing jar is empty.
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for this amazing salad recipe.
Can I roast the beets a few days in advance, reserve them in the fridge and assemble the salad when time comes? That would be a great time saver. Thanks a lot for your kind sharing.
Cathy
Sure, Cathy, that’ll work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Made this recipe for our gourmet club. The reviews we excellent. Dressing was fabulous. Thanks
That was an amazing salad!!!! It’s so good we want to serve it at our restaurant. Can you tell me how the recipe changes if you want to make the dressing for at least 50 people?
Thanks
So glad you like it! In order to make enough for 50, you’d need to multiply everything by 10.
Hi Jenn,
Just wanted to say thank you for all your recipes, they are all simply perfect! You never let me down. I am also eagerly awaiting the arrival of your cookbook.
Btw you might want to check out this site http://www.recipetineats.com, after yours it is another site that I frequent and she has not let me down.
Kind regards
Farah
Hi Farah, thanks for your kind words – so glad you enjoy the recipes! And thanks for suggesting the other blog – I will definitely check it out!
Hi Jennifer
This recipe was a huge hit at our Easter dinner. The vinaigrette is excellent and I will use it on other salads as well.
Thanks so much for the great recipes
Served at a dinner for friends and received high praise, one guest said “This is a salad very similar to one serve at my high end favorite restaurant, but yours is better”.
I LOVE this recipe, especially the dressing. I use it on all my salads. For a quick appetizer-like salad, I slice the roasted beets and layer with slices of goat cheese or cream cheese and drizzle a little bit of the vinaigrette on top, then sprinkle some chopped pistachios.
Amazing. I left the parts separate so each person could pick and choose. Hubby and I ate it all mixed up. He said it was the best salad he has ever had. I’m close to agreeing. Also: goat cheese with a drop of dressing and a wedge of beet on a crostini is solid.
Thank you!
Dear Jen,
This was really excellent salad. Thank you for the amazing recipe. Im going to make it again next Saturday for a dinner party I’m hosting and was wondering, given that I will be under so much pressure that day, if the beets will remain as good if cooked a day before and stored in the fridge (unpeeled).
Thank you so much !
Hi Malak, You can absolutely make the beets a day (or two) ahead of time.
This is a great salad. I love the dressing and am glad I made extra to have later. I love your salad recipes and never change a thing.
Made this again for the zillion th time. Yummy but now that beetroot is coming to an end can you work your magic on a butternut squash salad.
Will add it to my list! 🙂
Hi Jen,
I don’t have a lot of time to prepare the roasted beets and was wondering if I could substitute canned beets, either little round ones or the pre-sliced. I don’t know how much difference that would make in the flavor. I’m having company tomorrow so if you could get back to me today I would greatly appreciate it. I’ve tried other recipes of yours in the past and they’re always wonderful so I don’t want to ruin this one if it’s really necessary to use fresh beets. Thanks so much.
Hi Joan, It will still be good with canned beets but you might look for packaged roasted beets in the produce section of your supermarket – those are better. Glad you’re enjoying the recipes :).
This looks fabulous! Wondering if you have ever used golden beets?
Hi Julie, I can’t say that I have but I do think they’d work well here. Hope you enjoy!
This was amazing! I used fresh, homegrown beets and lettuce from the garden for this recipe. I never knew I loved beets until I tried this. Now, I cannot wait to make it again. Truly, this is an outstanding combination of flavors!
Hi Jenn-
This salad looks fantastic. I have some walnut oil to use. Do you think that would be good in the dressing in place of the vegetable oil?
Yes, definitely!
i am at the cottage and cannot get to a store. can i use balsamic instead as i do not have red wine vinegar. the recipe is just what i was looking for, thanks
Definitely!
Hi Jen,
Can I omit honey from the dressing?
Thanks!
Sure, Alla, but you may find it’s a bit tart without it. Sugar or maple syrup would make good substitutes.
This recipe was amazing, and so simple to follow. I’ve been intimidated to roast beets in the past, but the step-by-step instructions were great. I made this salad for my mom and she gobbled it up! I normally don’t like beets, but this salad changed my mind. Thank you!
Another deceptively simple yet great recipe! I hope you can help me with some questions: How long can the salad dressing be kept? Will vacuum cooked peeled beets (as packed in supermarket) work, or should I still roast it in the oven? Thank you in advance for your answers.
Hi, The dressing will keep nicely in the fridge for 4 to 5 days and the vacuum-packed beets will work fine. Hope that helps! 🙂
How long do you think dressing lasts in fridge?
Hi Crissy, It will keep well for 4 to 5 days.
Very bad that cooking person does not know simple fact that borscht is not Russian but Ukrainian soup.
Which brand of Goat Cheese is your favorite? I don’t see it in the picture of the ingredients. Thanks in advance! Your recipes are awesome and ALWAYS a hit!
Hi Donna, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I like Ile de France or Montchevre, if you can find those.
This dressing is amazing!! But can I sub the vegetable oil for extra virgin?
Hi Annmarie, glad you like the dressing! I like vegetable oil here as it tastes more neutral/mild than olive oil, but if you prefer you can use it.
hi
I am using cooked/ packed beets (vacuumed). can I still roast or grill? (if so for how long and at what temperature). thank you
Hi Aphrodite, you could grill them for a just a few minutes just to give them that smoky flavor. (I’d brush them with a little olive oil first.)
Do you think I could toss the beets with the dressing the night before to marinate a bit?
Sure Olya but keep in mind it will turn the dressing pink :).
What temperature for roasting the beets?
Hi Olya,
The beets should be roasted at 425°F. Hope you enjoy!
Made this tonight while visiting my parents – they had some lovely golden beets and wanted a beet and goat cheese salad, but we were stumped on the dressing… Fortunately we had all the ingredients on hand and the dressing was a big hit (dad loved it)! My mom and I are already planning to use this as a go to recipe with roasted beets in the future — thank you!
This salad is amazing! I left beets raw because my husband doesn’t like cooked beets and this was just delicious! Dressing is one of the best!
Made it as a starter for Christmas dinner and candied the walnuts too, it was a hit
So delicious!! I made this salad for lunch last week and it was delicious so easy to prep the night before as you can cook beets easily in the oven. In fact, so great that I’m going to make it as a side dish at Christmas dinner. My family is vegetarian and this dish is hearty and heathy. The only recommendation would be to go light on the dressing. The dressing is amazing but I prefer my salads lightly dressed.
The dressing is really good.