Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad (Printer-friendly)

Sweet roasted beets, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy walnuts on fresh greens with vinaigrette.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed
02 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or baby lettuces)

→ Dairy

03 - 3.5 oz goat cheese, crumbled

→ Nuts

04 - ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

→ Dressing

05 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
08 - 1 tsp honey
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet individually in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool; peel and cut into wedges.
02 - While beets roast, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Set aside.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
04 - Arrange mixed greens on a serving platter or individual plates. Top with roasted beet wedges, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted walnuts.
05 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad just before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but genuinely takes 20 minutes of hands-on work, no pretense.
  • The contrast between warm beets and cool goat cheese feels intentional, like you've discovered a secret.
  • Walnuts bring a subtle bitterness that keeps everything from being too sweet.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting the walnuts—raw walnuts taste flat and papery, toasted ones taste like something actually happened in your kitchen.
  • The dressing brings everything together, so make extra and taste it before it touches the greens; you'll want it slightly more vinegary and mustard-forward than you think.
03 -
  • The foil wrapper is essential—it traps steam and ensures even cooking, so the smallest beet cooks through at the same time as the largest.
  • Make the vinaigrette first and let it sit while you prep everything else; it tastes more integrated and the flavors get to know each other.

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