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Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
This pretty roasted beet salad makes the perfect starter for a dinner party.
This special salad is my go-to for the holidays. Roasted beets are are easy to make — you simply drizzle them with oil, wrap them in a foil packet, and then roast them directly on an oven rack for an hour — but many supermarkets now carry vacuum-packed roasted beets in the produce section, which makes the salad a breeze to prepare. Just be sure to top the salad with the beets as opposed to tossing them in, as mixing the beets into the salad will turn everything pink.
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Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
This pretty roasted beet salad makes the perfect starter for a dinner party.
Ingredients
For the Beets
- 1 bunch medium beets (about 3)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad
- 10 ounces mixed greens (I like a blend of frisée, radicchio and mesclun)
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
- 1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
For the Beets
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Wipe or scrub beets clean then trim stems down to one-inch (leave "tails" on). Place beets on a large piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil, then wrap foil around them to form a neat packet. Roast directly on rack in middle of 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 beets and let sit until cool enough to handle. Use your hands or a paring knife to peel skin, then cut into ½-inch dice (I usually do this right on the aluminum foil but you can also use a stain-proof cutting board or plate). Set aside.
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 your ingredients to a jar, cover with 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. Divide greens onto plates, then sprinkle with beets, walnuts and goat cheese. (The reason you don't just mix it all together in a salad bowl is that the beets would cause the whole salad to turn pink.) Serve immediately.
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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Reviews & Comments
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Hey Jenn, Just by chance, I skipped to this recipe to see what you are offering on this blog. Spinach/beets/goat or blue cheese is about the easiest salad in the world to do (and adding bacon is easy and provides additional protein, but more salt and fat). Walnuts are not as good as pecans, and they are better if they are pan roasted in walnut oil or carmelized with maple syrup and butter before tossing in the salad. But you add salt to your vinagrette. Why? It is unhealthy at best, unnecessary given the saltiness of goat/feta cheese. I worry that people do not understand how unhealthy your recipes are – and for no reason, because your basic ideas are simple, delicious classics. Cheers, Bruce, the food snob’s guide to healthy eating.
I decided to use just 1 tbsp. of aged raspberry balsamic vinegar…dressing was amazing!
Served this salad with grilled filet mignons for a birthday dinner and the salad stole the show! I roasted a bunch of yellow beets and a bunch of red beets and then used half of each to compose the salad. It was beautiful. Saved the beet greens and the next night sautéed them in olive oil, garlic and added lemon zest. A true bonus to a showstopper recipe!
Can I use Champagne vinegar in the dressing? Thanks!
Hi Barbara, If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you could use equal parts of white vinegar and red wine. If you don’t have both of those, you can get away with the champagne vinegar. Hope that helps!
absolutely amazing ! took ages to eat it too busy talking about how stunning it was ! Another winner Jenn
Can salad dressing be made with olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Sure. I like vegetable oil because it’s more mild tasting, but olive oil will work here. Hope you enjoy!
Made this today, exactly as per the recipe, and it’s beautiful, refreshing, and simple to make. Very impressive. Thank you, Jenn. – Jeannine
This is the perfect salad recipe. I have made it more than 20 times with perfect results every time. It is simple and classic. My only variation is yellow beets or toasted almonds instead of walnuts and is equally delicious. It works well for making the night before to take to work or serving to your family and friends. Thank you!!
salad is delicious! I used yellow beets.No red drippings and you will love the taste
Just made this beautiful salad for the first time! It is delicious! I have made so many of Jenn’s recipes and every one is ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thanks Jenn for your inspiration!!
Exactly the dressing I was looking for. I cook beets this way every time, without the oil. Plus put beet pack on a small baking sheet in case the beet pack springs a leak!
Excellent beet salad, Jenn! I make this all the time, it’s our ‘go to’ whenever we have beets on hand. Quick question: how long do you think the vinaigrette will keep in the fridge? Thanks!!
Glad you like it! The dressing will keep nicely in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Excellent recipe! I can’t get enough of the dressing! So glad I made a double batch for later 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I love your recipes! I always check your website first when making a new dish 🙂
I am planning to make this salad for Christmas Eve, but a few of the guests are not fans of goat cheese. What would be a good substitute? I know feta is a common one, but wondering how a crumble blue cheese or gorgonzola would be?
Thanks!
Hi Caitlin, Blue cheese or gorgonzola would be fabulous options.
Such an awesome salad and love love LOVE the dressing (we’re beekeepers, so always looking for ways to incorporate our honey into recipes). The perfect touch of sweetness that pairs with the tart goat cheese, nuts and earthy beets.
Absolutely love this recipe! Great combination of flavours and looks lovely. Because I’m lazy I used jarred pickled beets and it still turned out fantastic. Thank you Jenn!
I made this salad last night as a test run for Thanksgiving. I am a lazy cook who does not cook much. I used what I had on hand, shortcutting where possible. A homemade balsamic reduction was substituted for your dressing. I toasted almonds and used them to replace the walnuts. I also added tangerine segments.
It might not be as good as yours, but I loved it and will serve it again tonight. Thank you for inspiring me to use my kitchen!!
Loved the vinaigrette, however the beets themselves were totally lacking in flavor making the salad taste rather bland. What would your suggestion be to give the beets some flavor…maybe marinating them in the vinaigrette several hours before serving?
Sorry you found them bland! Sure, you could using the dressing as a marinade to infuse the beets with more flavor. 🙂
My wife and I first enjoyed a warm beet salad on a summer evening at a restaurant near the water. It was delicious. This recipe captured that night and frankly was even better. I always make the recipes as written, at least the first time, and I find that there is no need to change this recipe in the future. It was perfect as written and is super simple to make! Thanks again for making me look good in front of the family!
This is a really lovely salad. Very different from more traditional salad and very light. Makes a great started for a summer dinner party.
This is a Family Favorite salad . That’s saying a lot since my daughter is not a fan of beets. The dressing is a perfect combo of flavors . Requests to share this salad recipe with many friends I know confirms my review is 👍
Hi Jenn would white wine vinegar work for this dressing?
Thanks so much your recipes are amazing!
Glad you like the recipes! Yes, I think you could get away with white wine vinegar in the dressing.
Loved this great salad! And the dressing is amazing!!
Love this recipe. I’ve made similar salads before but just found this recipe to get an idea for a dressing. OMG the dressing is the best!!! I make it now just as a dressing for other salads. And it works great on this one too! Thank you!
I can not find those individual lettuces. Would a spring mix work or something else?
Thank you
Sure, Amy, a spring mix would work here. Enjoy!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it once a month for the last six months. I keep looking for other salad recipes and do you find some that are acceptable, but this one remains my favorite. It’s very simple to do. It’s delicious. The vinaigrette is divine. Thank you for sharing!
Love this salad! And made a beet lover out of my daughter who had never had roasted beets . I’ve made it 3 times in the last 6 weeks and love it every time.
So easy to make and delicious. It was a hit at my house and it will definitely become a staple dressing.
Hi, We tried your potato and leeks soup. It was a big success and we will do it again. Pon and Amanda
Jenn, this was unbelievably good…restaurant quality. I cut my beets into wedges which looked beautiful on the plate. Love the idea of walnut oil which I happen to have in the frig. Does it change the taste of the dressing which is already wonderful? Will be making this for company on a regular basis. Thanks for another winner
Hi Carol, So glad you enjoyed it! Walnut oil has a distinct flavor so it will definitely change the taste of the dressing. I think it would be delicious but you might try it first with half walnut oil/half veg oil to be sure you like the flavor.
Once again you nailed this one. Wife could not stop commenting about it. Truly wonderful salad. Found some good mellow goat cheese at Whole Foods. Just perfect. Wondering though, why did you use vegetable oil over olive oil? I noticed another dressing recipe that called for both. What’s the scoop on vegetable oil? Thank you
Hi Robert, glad you like the salad! I use vegetable oil over olive oil here because it has a more mild flavor. If you prefer olive oil, it would work as well — it just lends a slightly different flavor.
Rave reviews from my family. Restaurant quality salad. Do yourself a favor and make it!
I love this salad! The second time I made it I used maple syrup instead of honey because of a vegan guest – it was still as good. thanks!