Enjoy this roasted beet salad with goat cheese as a fresh spring/summer side salad, or boost it into a main. This beetroot salad combines peppery arugula with earthy sweet beetroot, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy walnuts with a tangy homemade honey mustard dressing! It’s naturally gluten-free and can be made dairy-free and vegan if preferred.
If you’re using pre-roasted/prepared beets, then you can skip this step.Clean the beetroot well. I like to use a vegetable brush and water to properly scrub them clean and remove all the sand/soil. This is especially important as I keep their skins on (especially when organic).
Step 2: Cook the beets
You can roast or broil the beets, but I prefer roasted (using an air fryer or oven). This will take 45-60 minutes at 375ºF/190ºC., depending on the size of the beets and whether you're using an air fryer or oven.I roasted mine whole, but feel free to pre-chop them into quarters, etc., to reduce the roasting time.Roasting beets this way will produce crisper skins that are slightly chewier as they dry out in the oven. If you’d prefer them more tender, you can wrap the beets in tin foil before roasting and optionally remove the skins after roasting - they'll peel right off. However, wrapping produces results that are a bit more like steaming, so they won't be as nicely caramelized.
Step 3: Prepare the vegetables
Chop the roasted beetroot into bite-sized pieces and then prepare the rest of the ingredients by finely chopping the shallots and beet leaves (well washed, of course) and zesting the lemon.
Rinse, and pat dry (or use a salad spinner) the arugula.
If you haven't already, prepare the honey mustard dressing - it takes just a couple of minutes to mix the ingredients together.
Step 4: Assemble the roasted beet salad with goat cheese
Combine all the prepared ingredients in a large bowl, then add the goat cheese, walnuts, and salad dressing and lightly toss to combine. Then enjoy your beet and goat cheese salad!
How to Make Ahead and Store
Make ahead: to really cut down on prep time, you can prepare both the roasted beets and the honey mustard dressing several days in advance.Store: once dressed, it's best to enjoy this salad as soon as possible before it goes too "soggy." If you know there's likely to be leftovers, then it's best to allow guests/family to dress their portion individually. The leftover undressed arugula salad with beets can then be stored, covered in the refrigerator for several days (3-4).
Notes
Optional Add-Ins and Variations
Balsamic vinaigrette: you can replace the honey mustard with a simple balsamic vinaigrette combining olive oil, balsamic, and orange juice.
Egg: hard-boiled eggs are creamy and rich and pair wonderfully with this beet and goat cheese salad.
Avocado: the creamy texture and flavor of avocado work particularly well in this beet salad recipe - to replace or eat alongside goat cheese.
Tomatoes: if I have some cherry tomatoes in my fridge, I'll often halve them and include them in this beetroot salad.
Radish: adds a slight crunch and freshness to the salad.
Fruit: there are several types of fruit that pair well with this beetroot salad, including pear, orange segments, raspberries, plums. You could also use dried fruit like cranberries or cherries.
Protein: there are several ways you can up the protein in this roasted beet salad. For meat-free protein, you can add cooked beans/lentils/chickpeas, or even tofu. If you eat meat, then a simple roasted chicken would work well.
Grains: another way to beef up this arugula salad with beets is to add extra carbs through grains like quinoa, rice, orzo, etc.
Other notes:
Allow the beets to cool: if they're still warm when you assemble the salad, they can cause the greens to wilt. So it's best to allow them to cool first unless you plan on eating the entire salad immediately.
For vegan beet salad: you can swap out the cheese for a dairy-free alternative or omit it entirely and optionally use avocado in its place.
Check out the blog post for more answers to top FAQs!