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Fall is in full swing and that means all things BEETS and root vegetables are on the menu.
And what better way to celebrate the natural sweetness of this vibrant veggie than as the star of the show in a cozy Fall salad?!
If you’ve never experienced it, having a warm and toasty bite to complement the cool and crisp texture of a mixed greens salad is to DIE for.
Those who claim they “Just don’t crave salads in the winter” have not tried this roasted beet salad with goat cheese yet!
Serve up this salad as the main dish for a plant-based weeknight dinner, or make it for the holidays – it is always a HUGE hit as a side dish at the Thanksgiving and Christmas table in our house!
Ingredients
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, you can jump to the recipe.
- Beets. You will need 3 cups (about 1 pound) of peeled, fresh beets, cubed into ½-inch pieces, and then roasted. This recipe is best with red beets, but you could try golden beets if you prefer.
- Greens. The choice is yours! Choose either mixed greens, spinach, kale, or arugula.
- Vinaigrette. A simple 3-ingredient vinaigrette dressing with balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and oil enhances this salad. You can also add an optional 4th ingredient—fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme—to really up-level the flavor!
- Goat cheese. Crumbled is best so that it disperses evenly.
- Nuts. Pecans are preferred, but walnuts are another good option. You definitely want to toast the pecans to bring out the flavor.
- Onion. Red onion adds a beautiful color, but you can use white or sweet onion as well.
- Seeds. Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds are ideal, but sunflower seeds also work.
How to Make a Spinach Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Jump to the recipe for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
- Prepare and roast the beets. Peel the raw beets with a vegetable peeler. Then cut them into ½-inch cubes. Try to make them as close to the same size as possible so they roast up evenly in the oven. Coat the beets with oil, salt, and pepper by tossing everything in a large bowl. Bake in preheated 400°F oven on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 30-40 minutes. Use a spatula to flip them halfway through. The roasting time will depend on the size of the beets.
- Toast the pecans in the oven. Just before the beets are done, lift the parchment paper on one side and add the pecans to the baking sheet, and return to the oven to toast. You can also roast pecans in the oven separately if you’d prefer. Opt for these cinnamon sugar pecans or savory spiced pecans for a unique twist.
- Make the balsamic vinaigrette. Use a blender or food processor to combine the ingredients for the simple dressing. Or, simply shake it up in a mason jar. (You may have to re-shake just before serving if it separates!) You can buy store-bought dressing, but it is much better to make it yourself at home. Plus you can make it 3 months ahead of time!
- Assemble the salad. Add a bed of baby spinach along with the goat cheese, pecans, red onions, cooked beets, and pumpkin seeds in a large serving bowl. Wait to toss with the dressing until just before serving, as the salad will get soggy and the nuts will soften if it sits too long. If you want an extra crunch, toss in some homemade croutons!
Meal Prep and Storage
- Prep-Ahead: You can roast the beets up to one week in advance, and make the vinaigrette up to 3 months beforehand. Refrigerate each individually in sealed containers until ready to use.
- Storage: Keep the salad components in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Seal roasted beets in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 8 months. It is not recommended to freeze the other salad ingredients.
FAQs
While it’s personal preference, many prefer roasted beets. Roasting beets really brings out their naturally sweet flavor and is the preferred method for cooking.
A variety of herbs go with roasted beets, in particular rosemary thyme, garlic, and cinnamon. When roasted, these flavors pair well with the earthy flavor of the slightly sweet beets.
To roast beets for salad, peel and cube them, then roast at 400°F for around 30 minutes. Make sure to spread them out evenly on a baking sheet so that they can begin to caramelize.
Other Delicious Beet Recipes
Who knew you could enjoy beets in so many ways? Try any of these delicious recipes next.
Both Creamy Beet Soup and Twice Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese are deceptively good.
Roasted Beet Hummus is the best snack.
You can add Quick Pickled Beets to just about anything!
More Fall Salad Recipes
Side salads are not just for Summer! Serve the best fresh Fall flavors with the following delicious salads:
Fall Harvest Salad with Apples, Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken, and Lemon Arugula Salad are so full of flavors.
Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad and Cranberry Kale Salad are delicious.
Or go with Easy Broccoli Bacon Salad or Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad for some hearty greens.
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Spinach Beet Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
Roasted Beets:
- 1 pound beets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup oil olive or avocado
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar good quality
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons rosemary or thyme finely chopped, optional
Salad:
- 12 ounces spinach or mixed greens
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- ¾ cup pecans coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds roasted and salted
Instructions
- Season the Beets: Peel beets with a vegetable peeler. Cut and remove both the stem and root ends and then cut into ½-inch cubes. Add beets to a large bowl along with oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until well coated.1 pound beets, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Roast the Beets: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place beets in a single layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until beets are tender. Flip beets halfway through to ensure even roasting.
- Add the Pecans: During the last 5 minutes of cooking, lift up the parchment paper on one side and add the chopped pecans directly onto the sheet pan. Continue cooking for 5-6 minutes, or until the pecans are lightly toasted.¾ cup pecans
- Make the Dressing: Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a high speed blender, such as a Nutribullet, or a food processor and blend for 15-20 seconds.½ cup oil, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons rosemary or thyme
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl add the spinach, goat cheese, toasted pecans, roasted beets, sliced red onion, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle on the balsamic vinaigrette just before serving and toss until well mixed. Enjoy!12 ounces spinach, 4 ounces goat cheese, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup red onion
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Notes
- Beets: Choose same-sized beets so they cook evenly.
- Dressing: Wait to dress the salad until just before serving.
- Prep-Ahead: You can roast the beets up to one week in advance, and make the vinaigrette up to 3 months beforehand. Refrigerate each individually in sealed containers until ready to use.
- Storage: Keep the salad components in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this today. I honestly believe this is the best thing I have ever made! Delicious!
YAY! I love hearing this, Kim. So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment.
Boiled my beets, peeled them and chopped them up which was really easy and tasted great. It was a big hit!!!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amanda! I love hearing when recipes are crowd pleasing. Thanks so much for commenting and leaving a recipe
Great recipe. Could you make a simple button to navigate to the recipe. The page is loaded with adds….I get the underlying model, but at this rate, I guess I can go old school and print, clip, file and then, lose the recipe?
Hi Andy! Thanks for the feedback. There is a button at the top where you can both jump to recipe or jump to print. It’s black with white text. Please let me know if you have trouble locating it!
This salad was full of delicious flavours and crazy easy to make! We had some beet skeptics in our house (we aren’t really used to eating beets), but they were easily won over and the whole family loved it. Note: I added some shaved red onion for extra flavour and substituted feta cheese for the goat cheese.
Hi Sonia! I am SO happy you enjoyed the salad and were able to convert the beet skeptics. The red onion sounds incredible in there!! Thanks for your comment and rating!
Such a yummy salad recipe!
Thank you so much, Emma!