Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
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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.
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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
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- 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.
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Comments
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We tried this recipe today, and it turned out delicious! It’s a perfect combination of flavors, and the vinaigrette was just the right match for it. This is a definite recipe to add to our rotation of favorites.
Jen,
We have gotten a good crop of beets from our garden and I’m planning to make this salad again tonight. (I’ve made it numerous times in the past and the dressing is my go to dressing for just about all my salads!). This time I was thinking of subbing feta cheese for goat cheese. What are your thoughts on this substitution? I happen to have a block of feta but no goat cheese.
Thanks,
Vivian
Hi Vivian, I think it’s perfectly fine to swap the goat cheese for feta. Enjoy!
This is my new go to for family gatherings…or just for me! Great flavors!
I toasted the walnuts, but otherwise followed the recipe. The dressing was delicious and the salad was popular with whole family.
Loooved this recipe! The vineagrette dressing is so delicious! It was a hit at our Easter dinner. Making again tonight for friends!
My husband and I were looking for some ways to incorporate beets into our diet. This salad was a big hit with both of us. The dressing is delicious and I was lucky enough to find the roasted beets in our grocery store. After reading other comments I will try some of the pickled beets in the future just for the ease of keeping them on hand. Delicious salad as is!! Thanks so much for your many inspirational recipes.
I love this one, though I exclude the goat cheese. Do you have a recommendation for dressing without vegetable oil?
Hi Lauren, Glad you like this! You could replace the vegetable oil with olive oil. Just keep in mind that I go with vegetable oil here as it has a very neutral flavor. Some other options are safflower or avocado oil. Hope that helps!
Jen, this salad is amazing, colors, flavors and dressing outstanding, I wanted to offer a nice find I made for the beets. I could not find the Love Beets, nor did my market have fresh beets. I ended up looking in the canned food aisle and found an S & W product called Spicy, Marinated Red Beets. I took a chance and have to say they are very good. Beets are already sliced and went well with this salad and your vinaigrette. So, for those , who like me, could not find the suggested ingredient, these make an excellent substitution. Thanks for all your work and great recipes.
Have I ever learned a big lesson or what! Originally this amazing salad recipe was part of your newsletter that started off with a Lamb recipe. Coincidentally I had made a rack of Lamb the night prior, and almost did not even read the newsletter. To think that I might have never made this salad….what a shame that would be. When I saw it yesterday, I pounced on this, and gosh was I ever rewarded. From instinct I decided to throw every ingredient for the vinaigrette into my immersion blender beaker, and voila, the dressing became a thick emulsion instantly. The salad itself was light, yet rich, if that makes any sense. I remember thinking last night as we were loving this salad, that I want to make it for every dinner guest we bring to our table, now that life is opening for breaking bread with loved ones. Thank you Jenn, for what you share. You are a part of our home.
So glad you enjoyed it (and thank you for your very kind words)! 🙂
I like using the immersion blender for salad dressing as well. It tends to separate less and is therefore less likely to harden in the refrigerator. Thanks for a great recipe, Jenn!
Can I replace honey with maple syrup? My stomach is too sensitive to honey. Thanks!
Yep that’s fine. 🙂
I smoke roast the beets and use Jen’s spiced pecans instead of walnuts. Delicious!