Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Perfect for dinner parties or jazzing up a weeknight meal (try topping it with steak, salmon, or chicken for a complete dish), my roasted beet salad looks as amazing as it tastes.
This beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts is my go-to dinner party salad. I don’t think I’ve ever served it without sending a few people home with the recipe. Years ago, I would roast my own beets, but high-quality vacuum-packed roasted beets, such as Love Beets, are now available in the produce section of most supermarkets, which makes the salad a breeze to prepare. Be sure to dress the greens at the last minute so they don’t get soggy, and top the salad with the beets as opposed to mixing them in, as tossing the beets with the salad will turn everything pink! Want to make the salad a complete meal? Try topping it with steak, grilled chicken or pan-seared salmon.
Table of Contents
“Absolutely delicious 💯 The dressing is superb. I follow the recipe to the T, I’ve made this 3x already this week. YUM!”
What You’ll Need to Make Roasted Beet Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
- Honey: Adds subtle sweetness to the dressing and balances the acidity of the vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard: Provides a tangy flavor and helps emulsify the dressing.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Adds acidity and depth of flavor.
- Shallots: Infuses a subtle onion flavor into the vinaigrette.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhances the overall taste of the dressing.
- Vegetable Oil: Provides a smooth texture and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Mixed Greens: Serve as the base of the salad, providing freshness and color.
- Vacuum-Packed Roasted Beets: Offer earthy sweetness and vibrant color to the salad. I use store-bought but if you’d like to roast them yourself, see the note at the bottom of the recipe.
- Walnuts: Add a satisfying crunch and nutty flavor.
- Goat Cheese: Adds creaminess and tanginess, complementing the sweetness of the beets and the crunchiness of the walnuts.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper.
Whisk to combine. Then, whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. (Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a jar, cover with the lid, and shake vigorously to blend.)
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
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. Arrange the greens on a large platter or divide onto plates, then top with beets, walnuts, and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The dressing can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Just give it a good shake before using it on the salad.
This salad is really flexible so you can tailor it to your preferences or to what you have on hand. Swap out the beets for strawberries or sliced apples, use crumbled feta instead of goat cheese, and pecans, almonds, or pistachios in place of the walnuts. Each tweak will bring its own unique flavor and texture to the salad.
Yes, you can definitely make the beets ahead of time. Roasted beets keep nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. And if you’d like to freeze leftover beets, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or foil and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before using. If you’re a big beet fan and looking for other ways to use them, you’ll love (and maybe even obsess over) my balsamic-glazed roasted beets.
You May Also Like
Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
Perfect for dinner parties or jazzing up a weeknight meal (try topping it with steak, salmon, or chicken for a complete dish), my roasted beet salad looks as amazing as it tastes.
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons minced shallots
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Salad
- 10 ounces mixed greens
- About ½ lb vacuum-packed roasted beets, cut into wedges (see note)
- ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 3 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
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 the ingredients to a jar, cover with the 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. Arrange the greens on a large platter or divide onto plates, then top with beets, walnuts and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
- Note: If you'd like to roast your own beets, you'll need 1 bunch of medium beets (about 3). Preheat oven to 425°F and set an oven rack to the middle position. Wipe or scrub the beets clean, then trim stems down to one-inch (leave "tails" on). Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then wrap foil around the beets to form a neat packet. Roast directly on a rack in the middle of the 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 the beets and let sit until cool enough to handle. Use your hands or a paring knife to peel the skin, then cut into wedges.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The vinaigrette can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Before serving, let sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then shake to re-emulsify.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have never seen packaged roasted beets or beets here in Atlantic Canada. How do you suggest we prepare raw beets for this salad?
Hi Elizabeth, If you scroll down to the end of the recipe, I’ve given instructions for roasting your own beets. It’s easy. 🙂
Another alternative is to steam the beets. After scrubbing, I steam them whole. I do this on an afternoon I’m planning to be at home anyway; other than the scrubbing and one or two checks for sufficient water during the cooking, the heat does all the work. I remove beets from heat when they are fork-tender. They can be cooked ahead and added to the recipe when you are ready.
Another idea: while the beets are cooling to a temperature comfortable enough to handle, I like to make a honey-serrano vinegar: in a small pot, place 1 or 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers (membranes & seeds removed), 1/3 c. red wine or balsamic vinegar, a tablespoon of honey, and 3/4 t. salt. Simmer for five minutes, strain out the peppers, and pour over peeled and quartered beets while warm or at room temperature. Drained, the beets can be used in the recipe for roasted beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts, and honey-dijon vinaigrette without any changes. This also makes a simple, tasty side dish on its own if I run out of time.
Costco
Hi Jenn! I love ALL of your recipes! This salad sounds delicious but we are not beet fans. Is there a substitute or should we just leave them out?
Thank you,
Melisa
Hi Melisa, I think shaved “ribbon-style” carrots would be delicious (and pretty) in this. Using a vegetable peeler, run the peeler away from you, down the length of the carrots, shaving off long, wide ribbons and rotating a few times as you go.
This is by far the best by far salad I’ve made!! I’ve shared it with all my family and friends!
This salad is terrific. I served it for a dinner party and it was easy and everyone ate it all! I used walnut oil because I had it in my cabinet.
Hi Jenn – love all the recipes! Can I use canned beets? I know that’s probably not ideal but I can’t always find the fresh produce I’m looking for nowadays. Thank you!
Hi Karen, I know it’s been a struggle recently to find what you need in the produce section! Yes, you can use canned beets but your store happens to have packaged roasted beets, those would be a good alternative to fresh roasted ones. Hope that helps!
Absolutely! Thanks so much!
Jenn, I’m a stay-at-home dad preparing for Thanksgiving. I just made this dressing, amazing!! When I feel unmotivated to cook I turn to your site. Your palate is better than mine and everything I’ve made turns out delicious. Thank you!
So glad you like the recipes and that up your motivation in the kitchen! 🙂
Absolutely Wonderful. Will make this again. The dressing was wonderful. I used grape seed oil.
We always order the beet and goat cheese salad when out for dinner so I decided to make it at home. This recipe was a huge hit and will be in regular rotation. The dressing is tangy and complements the sweet beets and creamy goat cheese. Well balanced and got the honor of my last bite on the plate. Thank you so much!
Quite wonderful! The combination of flavors is excellent and I will definitely make this recipe again.
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.
Really, Bruce? Move along if you don’t like what you see. Jenn’s recipes are amongst the best I’ve tried, and – judging from the numerous 5-star reviews assigned to every recipe listed on her website – I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Lol, what a hater! I m a registered dietitian with 10+ years of experience in clinical nutrition and dietetics working with critically ill patients as well as with patients with many commorbidities and your credentials as “food snob “ mean absolutely nothing and u should not be giving advise on “healthy eating.” Oh and this particular recipe is quite healthy and that salt wont kill u. The amount ends up being minuscule when divided amongst the servings and unless you have kidney or heart disease, I dont see why u can’t use salt. This is definitely not processed food which is the leading source of excess salt. People with diseases requiring low sodium diets can simply leave the salt out . No one should ever listen to a self proclaimed food expert. Thanks