Roasted Beet Salad Goat Cheese (Printable)
Sweet roasted beets paired with creamy goat cheese and crunchy pistachios on fresh greens.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beets
01 - 4 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Salad
05 - 3 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, baby spinach, or spring mix)
06 - 3.5 oz goat cheese, crumbled
07 - 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
08 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 teaspoon honey
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Set the oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Coat the beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet.
03 - Roast the wrapped beets for 40 to 50 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool slightly, then peel and slice into wedges.
04 - Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper together until emulsified.
05 - Place the mixed greens and red onion slices in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss gently to coat evenly.
06 - Distribute the dressed greens onto a serving platter or individual plates. Arrange beet wedges atop the greens, then sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese and chopped pistachios.
07 - Drizzle the remaining dressing over the assembled salad just before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The beets taste so naturally sweet after roasting that you barely need any dressing, making it feel lighter than it actually is.
- You can prep the beets hours ahead, which means a stress-free assembly when guests arrive.
- Every element brings something different—texture, temperature, flavor—so no bite ever feels boring.
02 -
- Don't skip the individual foil wrapping—beets roasted directly on the pan tend to stick and shrivel, while foil creates a gentle steam environment.
- Roast your beets until they're truly fork-tender; undercooked beets taste mealy and earthy in a way that doesn't work here, but fully cooked ones have an almost creamy texture that makes the whole dish sing.
03 -
- Buy the smallest beets you can find—they roast faster and taste sweeter than huge ones that have started to get woody in the center.
- Toast your pistachios lightly in a dry pan before chopping them; it brings out their flavor and adds a subtle richness that makes people ask what your secret is.