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beet and arugula salad with goat cheese.

Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

Mallory
This Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese is a colorful and vibrant combination of flavor with sweet earthy beets, peppery arugula, and creamy goat cheese all topped with a simple homemade Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette. 
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4 (1.5 cup) servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 beets, small or medium sized or 4 large, you can use packaged cooked beets to save time.
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for roasting beets
  • 5 oz arugula about 5 cups
  • ¼ a large apple, sliced I use Honeycrisp variety
  • ½ a shallot, sliced
  • ½ cup goat cheese
  • ½ cup walnuts

For Dressing

Instructions
 

  • Instructions to roast beets. If using pre-cooked beets, skip ahead to step 2. Preheat oven to 400℉ (200°C). Wash beets and cut off the ends with a sharp knife. If using large beets, cut them in half to help them cook a bit faster. Coat the beets in extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap each beet in a large piece of foil. Each beet will have its own foil packet. Place the aluminum foil packets in a single layer on a sheet pan or baking dish and roast in the oven for 45-60 minutes. When the beets are easily pierced with a fork, remove them from the oven and let the wrapped beets cool. Remove the beet skin with a paper towel or under cold water.  Slice or dice the beets to your preferred size. Full recipe for roasted beets in foil.
  • While the beets are roasting, slice your apple and shallot. Set aside. Make the Maple Balsamic Dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shaking them in a mason jar. 
  • In a medium bowl or large bowl, add the arugula. Top the bed of arugula with roasted beets, apple slices, shallot, walnuts, and goat cheese. 
  • Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad. Give it a toss and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Expert Tips
  • Use beets that are around the same size so they cook evenly.
  • 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.
  • Save time by using pre-roasted beets.
  • I suggest using 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 and Storage
  • Meal Prep - roast the beets and make your dressing ahead of time so they're ready to go when you want to assemble the salad!
  • Storage - store leftovers of this roasted beet salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. I suggest storing the salad ingredients separately from the dressing so the salad doesn't get soggy. The dressing will stay good in the fridge for up to 10-14 days. 
Additional Nutrition Information
While healthy means something different to everyone, this Beet and Arugula Salad in a nutrient-rich option. Beets contain several important nutrients including dietary fiber for gut health, plant protein, and several vitamins and minerals -copper, manganese, folate, and vitamin C to name a few. Beets also contain a nutrient called betalains which are plant pigments that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. And a recent research study presented in the Journal of Human Hypertension showed that both beetroot juice and cooked beets were effective at improving blood pressure and reducing inflammation in the body. Arugula is a low-calorie food that provides vitamin K, iron, potassium, and dietary fiber. This recipe also contains important nutrients for brain health and heart-healthy fatty acids from the olive oil in the dressing and protein from the goat cheese and walnuts. 
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊 
Keyword gluten free, plant-based, vegetarian
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