Fresh, vibrant and packed with flavor, this Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese will elevate any meal. It’s packed with juicy oranges, creamy goat cheese and fennel, and it’s tossed in a sweet, tangy blood orange dressing for one delicious winter salad!

Roasted beet salad on a plate with a fork

Beets are an ingredient that I love, but I don’t make them often enough. I’ll be making them a lot more often thanks to the roasted beets recipe that I shared last week. They’re so easy to make and there are so many delicious ways to use them!

My favorite way to utilize them is in my shrimp louie salad and arugula beet salad, and this Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is my latest obsession.

This salad has all the elements that I look for. It’s got a variety of textures, sweet and savory flavors, and the colors brighten any day.

It’s truly a feast for the eyes with the flavor to match. 🙂

Roasted beet salad on a plate with blood orange dressing in background
 

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • This roasted beet salad is fresh, vibrant and packed with bright flavors.
  • It’s tossed in a sweet, tangy blood orange dressing that makes the flavors come alive.
  • The beets and dressing may be prepped in advance to make assembly a breeze.
  • It’s elegant enough for dinner parties and easy enough for weeknight dinners and meal prep lunches.

Recipe ingredients

I’ve put some of my favorite ingredients together in this roasted beet salad recipe, and the combination works so well.

The good news is that this recipe is easily customized with what you have on hand as outlined in the ingredient notes below.

Roasted beet salad ingredients
  • Lettuce. I chose to use spring lettuce for this salad, but you can certainly use any type. Butter lettuce, spinach, arugula or any greens will work!
  • Beets. This recipe includes a combination of red and golden beets for color and flavor, but any variety will work great. Roast the beets in advance and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the salad.
  • Blood oranges and clementines. I’ve used both blood oranges and clementines for a variety of colors and flavors, but your favorite variety of citrus may be substituted.
  • Fennel. The fennel adds crispness and texture, but it may be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.
  • Goat cheese. It’s tangy, creamy and perfect with beets, but it may be subbed with your favorite cheese or omitted to make this recipe dairy-free.
  • Walnuts. Sub with your favorite nuts or seeds for texture and crunch.
  • Dressing. The blood orange dressing is the perfect touch, but it may be substituted with my balsamic vinaigrette dressing or your favorite store bought brand.

How to make this recipe

There are a few components to this roasted beet salad recipe, but they can be done in advance to make preparing the salad easier on busy weeknights or for dinner parties.

Pro tip: Cook the beets, toast the walnuts and prepare the dressing up to a few days in advance!

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to roast beets for salad

Cooking the beets is the most time consuming portion of this recipe. They can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the salad.

See my post on roasted beets for all of my handy tips!

Toast the walnuts

how to toast walnuts collage
  1. Place the walnut pieces on a large rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until fragrant.

Prepare the blood orange dressing

How to make blood orange dressing
  1. Place the blood orange juice, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper in a jar.
  2. Whisk, or secure the lid and shake vigorously, until combined.

Assemble the roasted beet salad

How to make roasted beet salad
  1. Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Add the dressing and toss well to coat.
Blood orange dressing in a jar

Recipe FAQs

What pairs well with beets?

The earthy flavor of beets pair well with other root vegetables like carrot, parsnips, onions and potatoes, and my roasted root vegetables recipe is a great example of that.
They’re also wonderful when combined with citrus, apples, berries, fennel, avocado, a variety of soft cheeses, nuts and seeds.

What kind of cheese is good with beets.

Beets work with most soft cheeses like burrata, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese and feta, as well as pungent varieties like roquefort and gorgonzola.

How do you eat beats in salad?

Beets may be eaten raw or cooked in salad. Raw beets should be peeled and grated before adding to salad, and roasted beets should be cut into wedges or slices.

Can I make this salad in advance?

The components of this salad may be made in advance, but for best results, do not add the dressing until just before serving. For meal prep, place all ingredients in individual containers and add the walnuts and dressing just before serving.

Blood orange dressing pouring over roasted beet salad

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Cook the beets, toast the walnuts and prepare the dressing up to a few days in advance!
  • Cook time above includes 1 hour for roasting the beets.  Beets may be roasted in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make your salad.  See my post on roasted beets for more information.
  • For best results, assemble the salad immediately before serving.  I like to add the purple beets at the last minute to prevent the salad from turning purple!
  • Leftover blood orange dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • For meal prep, assemble the salad in individual containers and add the walnuts and dressing just before serving.
Roasted beet salad with goat cheese with blood orange dressing

More salad recipes you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Roasted beet salad on a plate with a fork

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

You can't beat this Roasted Beet Salad! It's packed with tangy goat cheese, juicy oranges and is tossed in a flavorful blood orange dressing!
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Ingredients

For the blood orange dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

  • 5 ounces spring lettuce or your favorite
  • 2 medium roasted beets cut into 1/4" wedges; I used one red and one golden
  • 1 blood orange
  • 3 clementines or 1 medium navel orange
  • 1 green onion thinly sliced, both white and green parts
  • 1 cup thinly sliced fennel the fronds are wonderful in the salad too!
  • ½ cup crumbled goat cheese feta may be substituted
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts

Instructions 

Prepare the roasted beets.

  • See notes for the link to the recipe.
    2 medium roasted beets

Toast the walnuts.

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Cool completely.
    ½ cup toasted walnuts

Prepare the dressing.

  • Place the blood orange dressing, maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper in a jar. Secure the lid and shake vigorously until emulsified and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
    3 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1½ teaspoons dijon mustard, 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

Prepare the salad.

  • Slice the tops and bottoms off of the clementines and blood oranges, and working from the top to bottom, cut off the peels and as much of the white pith as possible. Once peeled, turn sideways and slice the oranges gently, then cut into quarters. Alternatively, you can segment the orange slices. Place in a bowl until ready to use.
    1 blood orange, 3 clementines
  • Place the greens in large bowl. Add the golden beets, oranges, green onions, fennel, and cheese, and toss with enough of the vinaigrette to coat. Toss the purple beets with a bit of the vinaigrette, and gently add to the salad just before serving to keep the entire salad from turning purple. Top with walnuts and serve!
    5 ounces spring lettuce, 1 green onion, 1 cup thinly sliced fennel, ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Notes

  • Pro tip: Cook the beets, toast the walnuts and prepare the dressing up to a few days in advance!
  • Cook time above includes 1 hour for roasting the beets.  Beets may be roasted in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make your salad.  See my post on roasted beets for more information.
  • For best results, assemble the salad immediately before serving.  I like to add the purple beets at the last minute to prevent the salad from turning purple!
  • Leftover blood orange dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • For meal prep, assemble the salad in individual containers and add the walnuts and dressing just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 144mg, Potassium: 435mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 2028IU, Vitamin C: 31mg, Calcium: 78mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published in March 2015.  The photos have been updated and the post has been modified to include more recipe information.

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