Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese is honestly the best beet salad recipe I've ever made! A colorful and vibrant combination of flavor with earthy beets, peppery arugula, and creamy goat cheese topped with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Top this salad with some Homemade Sourdough Croutons, my favorite addition to every salad!
Why You’ll Love this Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
It’s one of my favorite salad recipes for many reasons!
- Nutritious: beets have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Plus, they support detoxification of your liver! Arugula is low calorie and contains iron, potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium.
- Easy: while it may LOOK like you spent a lot of time on a fancy restaurant-worthy meal or side dish, it's seriously SO easy to make this Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese.
- Customizable: you can customize this recipe however you want!
- Homemade Balsamic Vinegar dressing: just a few ingredients to elevate your salad game.
When to make Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
I had the pleasure of my mom staying with me for a girl’s evening a few weeks ago and we made this Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese. We both agreed it was a delicious salad that is too good not to share! It’s a perfect salad for a light lunch or you can add protein to make it a well-balanced meal.
This is also a perfect side dish to bring to a dinner party in the fall or winter months with the warm earthy flavors. But you could make it year round since beets are always in season.
Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients to make this arugula beet salad!
Beets: use either red beets or golden beets. You can buy beets in the produce section at the grocery store either with or without beet greens attached.
I realize that the earthy flavor of beets is controversial. You pretty much either love them or you hate them. But even if you aren’t a beet lover, I’d encourage you to give roasted beets a try with the flavor combination in this salad. The ingredients really bring out the sweetness of the beets!
Fresh Arugula: the peppery flavor in arugula pairs perfectly with the sweet beets and zingy balsamic.
Soft Goat Cheese: a little bit of tangy goat cheese pairs beautifully with roasted beets. Look for plain goat cheese. Either a log or crumbles works. You can find it near the delicatessen with the other cheeses at the grocery store.
Nuts: crunchy walnuts or pistachios add extra protein and fiber. Buy nuts in bulk to save money!
Apple: apples add a little more sweetness and crispy texture to this salad. I love making this Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese in the fall which is perfect when apples are in season. I personally use Honeycrisp apples. But you can use any variety of apple you want.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing: use my Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe for the perfect ratio of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. There is just something about homemade dressing that takes a good salad to a great salad. Plus, making dressing at home is easy and cost-effective. Just whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl or shake them up in a mason jar and store in the fridge.
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
*Be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
Instructions for Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
Step 1: Instructions to roast beets (if using pre-cooked beets, skip ahead to step 3).
Preheat oven to 400 ℉. Wash beets well. Cut off the ends of the beets with a sharp knife. No need to skin them until after they are cooked.
Coat the beets in extra virgin olive oil and wrap each beet individually in a large piece of foil. Each beet will have it’s own piece of aluminum foil. Place each foil packet on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast in the oven for 40-60 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the beets cool to room temperature. Then, with a paper towel or under running cold water, gently remove the beet skin. Slice or dice the beets.
Step 2: In a small bowl, make the homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing by adding all salad ingredients except the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to a small bowl and whisking them. Drizzle in the EVOO and continue to whisk until the dressing is slightly thickened. You can get the same effect by shaking the ingredients together in a mason jar. Adding the olive oil last makes the dressing the perfect consistency.
Step 3: In a medium bowl or large bowl, assemble the salad by combining the arugula, roasted beets, diced apple, nuts, and goat cheese. Drizzle your desired amount of dressing on top.
If you are storing the leftovers for later, dish your salad first and then add dressing!
Substitutions
Leafy greens: if you don't like the taste of arugula, use a different leafy green like baby spinach or spring mix! Or do a half and half combo.
Cheese: if you don’t like goat cheese, feta cheese is a fantastic alternative.
Vegetables: feel free to add some of your favorite vegetables to take this recipe up a notch! I love adding sweet potatoes, red onion, or some raw broccoli.
Dressing: If you don’t prefer balsamic, you could opt for different salad dressings like one with a dijon mustard or lemon juice base.
Add some dried cranberries for extra sweetness,
Expert Tips
If this is your first time roasting beets, don’t miss these expert tips!
- Buy fresh beets that are around the same size because the size of the beets will impact how long it takes to fully cook. If your beets are different sizes, cut the larger beet in half.
- My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them in the oven. No need to remove the skin before roasting the beets this way.
- The beets are done cooking when they pierce easily with a fork. Smaller beets will take around 40 minutes and larger beets will take about an hour.
- When roasting beets, don't take the skin off until they are cool out of the oven. When removing skins, use a paper towel to gently remove. This is the least messy way I've found to remove beet skin. Red beets have a beautiful vibrant color, but their juice does stain so be careful when handling beets!
- Be sure to use baby arugula. Baby arugula is harvested while it is young and it's more mild in flavor. Mature arugula is almost too fierce of a flavor to eat raw while baby arugula has a pleasant peppery taste.
Meal Prep & Storage
Meal Prep
Meal Prep this recipe in advance by roasting your beets and dicing both the beets and apples ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
You can make the delicious balsamic dressing ahead of time too. It stays good in the fridge in a mason jar or other closed container for around 10-14 days. If you’re using store-bought salad dressing, obviously no need to prep the dressing in advance.
Storage
To store this recipe, store the salad separate from the dressing, both in an airtight container. When you are ready to eat, add the dressing and serve! The salad ingredients will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days and the dressing will stay good for 10-14 days.
It's normal for the dressing to separate in the fridge. Let it sit out of the fridge for a few minutes and then shake it vigorously.
FAQs
Absolutely! I use fresh beets because they are less expensive and super easy to roast at home. But if you don’t have time or don’t want to make your own beets, you can also use pre-cooked beets! If you are buying pre-roasted beets, I suggest looking for either Melissa’s or Love Beets Brand. Just be sure you don’t buy flavored or pickled beets. You’ll want just plain ole’ roasted for this recipe.
From a nutrition perspective, each ingredient in this salad provides it's own health benefits!
-Beets are a good source of fiber and nutrients including a nutrient called betalains, a plant pigment with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Plus, beets support detoxification of your liver!
-Arugula is very low calorie and has iron, potassium, Vitamin A, and calcium!
-Apples provide phytochemicals including quercetin, a flavanoid that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. They also have pectin, a type of fiber that helps with constipation.
-Goat cheese is a great cheese option for people who are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy. It also has a good amount of protein, calcium, and phosphorus.
If you prefer, you can absolutely also use a store-bought dressing! I recommend Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinaigrette that you can find at most grocery stores.
What to serve with Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
You could serve this salad as a main dish with a protein like chicken or fish. Or if you want to keep it plant based, add some quinoa, tofu, or more nuts/seeds for protein.
Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve it with!
LOOKING FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION?
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy
References: USDA, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, American Pistachio Growers, Healthline, Bon Apetite, Medical News Today, Something Swanky
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram….I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 large beets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for roasting beets
- 4 cups arugula
- 2 tablespoon goat cheese
- ¼ cup pistachios or walnuts
- ½ apple, diced I use honeycrisp
For Dressing
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar see notes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 ℉. Wash beets well and cut off the leaves if still attached. Cut off the ends of the beets with a sharp knife. Then, coat the beets in extra virgin olive oil and wrap each beet in a large piece of foil. Each beet will have it’s own piece of aluminum foil. Place each foil packet on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast in the oven for 40-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the beets cool to room temperature. Then, with a paper towel or under running cold water, gently remove the beet skin. Slice or dice the beets.
- In a small bowl, make the homemade balsamic vinaigrette by whisking balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle in the ½ cup extra virgin olive oil and whisk until it starts to thicken a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a medium bowl or large bowl, mix together the arugula, roasted beets, apple, nuts, and goat cheese. Drizzle dressing on top and toss the salad. You may have extra dressing depending on the amount you prefer!
Notes
- For best results for the balsamic vinaigrette dressing, use an aged balsamic vinegar.
- You can use pre-cooked roasted beets if you prefer. I recommend getting plain roasted beets, not pickled or flavored.
- Be sure to cool the beets before removing the skin and dicing them.
- When removing skin from the beets, use a paper towel or do so under cold water. Beet juice is vibrant in color and can stain so using this method will decrease mess.
- Meal Prep this recipe in advance by roasting your beets and dicing both the beets and apples ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
- You can make the balsamic dressing ahead of time too. It stays good in the fridge in a mason jar or other closed container for around 10-14 days.
- To store this recipe, store the salad ingredients separate from the dressing. When you are ready to eat, add the dressing and serve!
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