Roasted Beet Salad is my favorite simple, and stunning, side dish for the holidays! It features simple roasted beets, crunchy pistachios, salty feta, and juicy orange for that perfect hit of juicy citrus. I finish it off with a light drizzle of my Apple Cider Vinaigrette. The flavor combo is incredible and it will soon be your favorite as well!
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The weather is cooling off, the leaves are changing, and that means the holidays are approaching. There is always this question of what to bring. There are the usual suspects, but sometimes you just want something that will stand out. This Roasted Beet Salad is just the thing. Visually, it's stunning. Taste-wise, it is out of this world. Show up with this the next time you have a get together and you're gonna look like a kitchen savant. And, you are!
Beets tend to get a bad wrap. I can see why. If not prepared correctly or just served in a boring way, I'm not much of a fan. This salad, though. Wow. The beets roast and become tender and caramelized. Crunch from the nuts, a little tang from the cheese, and a burst of wonderful sweet citrus from the orange send this salad over top. And, we haven't even talked about the vinaigrette yet!
The Apple Cider Vinaigrette is super simple and comes together in minutes while the beets roast in the oven. It's tangy with a bit of sweet heat from the hot honey and is just wonderful. It's a phenomenal vinaigrette in it's own right, but with the Roasted Beet Salad, it's pure magic.
ingredients
- Beets
- Extra Virgin Oil
- Salad Greens - Arugula, Spinach, Spring Mix, etc.
- Shallot or Red Onion
- Pistachios
- Feta
- Orange
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Whole Grain Mustard
- Hot Honey
- Garlic
- Fresh Herbs, for garnish
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
how to make the best roasted beet salad
roasting the beets
Get ready for your mind to be blown. The roasting of the beets is beyond simple. And, we don't have to peel them. And, you and your hands aren't gonna look like you've escaped a crime scene.
The beets are just like a potato in the way that all you need to do is scrub the outside really well before cooking. While roasting, the skin become super tender. There is no need to peel them at all. We like simple around here and this is simple.
So, just clean your beets with a vegetable scrubber. You'll also want to clean up the ends a bit. Cut off the base and top part of the beets, creating a flat base and top. Next, just cut the beets into wedges - about ½ an inch thick.
Onto a parchment-lined baking sheet the beet wedges go. Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil and a good sprinkle of kosher salt. They need to roast in the oven at 375°. We're using a lower temp because we want tender, not crispy.
Continue to roast until the beets are fork tender and caramelized, about 35-40 minutes.
And, while the roast, we can prepare the vinaigrette and salad.
apple cider vinaigrette
This vinaigrette is like most, it just takes a bowl and a whisk. The olive oil, ACV, mustard, hot honey, garlic, cinnamon, salt and pepper go in the bowl and you whisk it until combined.
The hot honey is not to make this spicy, necessarily. It just gives it a little something-something for you brain to mull over. The same goes for the cinnamon. It's there to bring a little warmth to this fall salad.
roasted beet salad assembly
Once the beets have roasted and cooled, it's time to throw this masterpiece together. This is the part where the visually stunning elements come together.
I lay out a bed of the greens. I'm using arugula because that's what we like. You can even save the green tops of the beets to add to the salad. The leaves are delicious! Next, I arrange my beet wedges along with the orange segments. A healthy crumble of feta and sprinkle of the pistachios go next. I finish with a shower of whatever fresh herbs I have on hand - it's parsley and chives today.
Then comes the apple cider vinaigrette. Pour that magical elixir until you feel happy. I finish with one last drizzle of hot honey and a healthy sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Show up to your next get together and wait for the applause. I promise it's coming.
recipe frequently asked questions
Is this recipe gluten and/or dairy free?
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. No worries there. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe only thing in this beet salad that has dairy is the feta. You can leave it out or substitute with your favorite DF crumbly cheese.
Are beets good for you?
Beets are one of the most underrated vegetables in my opinion. The color alone should be enough for you to know that they are incredibly good for you. Full of antioxidants and fiber, beets are chockfull of vitamins and minerals. They're great for heart health, have a ton of anti-inflammatory properties, and are even good for bone health. Moral of the story: You should be eating more beets.
Can I used canned or packaged beets for this Roasted Beet Salad?
Yes, you can. Howeverrrrrrr, I highly suggest roasting them as I've instructed. The roasted beet flavor is far superior to anything you will find in a can or package. One reason people say they don't like beets is that they've had them from a can. I compare it canned asparagus vs. roasted fresh asparagus. See what I'm saying? In this case, the fresh, roasted beet is the way to go.
tips, tricks, and substitutions
- Add roasted chicken or pork for a protein bump for this salad.
- Use whatever fruits and nuts you love here. Apples are fantastic and I've used everything from a cashew to almonds for this salad recipe. You can't go wrong!
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days if you're storing them together.
- If ingredients are stored separately, they will stay good 3-5 days.
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If you guys make this Roasted Beet Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
- 4-5 med beets
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1-2 teaspoon hot honey regular honey or maple would work, too!
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Roasted Beet Salad
- 2 cup salad greens - arugula or spring mix
- ½ shallot or red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pistachios
- 2 oz feta, crumbled
- 1 orange, peeled and segmented
- fresh herbs for garnish use your favorite
Instructions
Roasting The Beets
- Clean your beets well with a vegetable scrubber. You'll also want to clean up the ends a bit. Cut off the base and top part of the beets, creating a flat base and top. Cut the beets into wedges - about ½ an inch thick.
- Onto a parchment lined baking sheet the beet wedges go. Drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil and a good sprinkle of kosher salt. Roast in a preheated oven at 375°.
- Continue to roast until the beets are fork tender and caramelized, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
The Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, ACV, mustard, hot honey, garlic, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Roasted Beet Salad Assembly
- Lay out a bed of the greens. I'm using arugula because that's what we like. You can even save the green tops of the beets to add to the salad. The leaves are delicious!
- Next, I arrange my beet wedges along with the orange segments. A healthy crumble of feta and sprinkle of the pistachios go next. I finish with a shower of whatever fresh herbs I have on hand - it's parsley and chives today.
- Then comes the apple cider vinaigrette. Pour that magical elixir until you feel happy. I finish with one last drizzle of hot honey and a healthy sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Roasted Beet Salad recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or review. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Amber Manndle says
This salad is amazing. We served it over the holidays and cannot quit making it. Even my kids love it!