Beet Goat Cheese Salad (Printable)

Sweet roasted beets, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy walnuts on mixed greens with tangy dressing.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 3 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed
02 - 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
03 - ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
04 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)

→ Dressing

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 teaspoon honey
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Allow to cool slightly, then peel and cut into wedges or cubes.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - Place mixed greens in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter. Arrange roasted beet pieces, crumbled goat cheese, and chopped walnuts on top.
05 - Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently if desired or serve as composed.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sweetness of roasted beets plays against tangy goat cheese in a way that feels almost indulgent but stays bright and fresh.
  • It comes together in under an hour and impresses without any fussy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
  • You can prep everything ahead and toss it together right before serving, which means less stress when people arrive.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the beets before peeling—not only does the skin come off more easily, but you also won't burn your fingers or lose the beautiful color to your hands.
  • Toasting the walnuts in a dry skillet for just 2–3 minutes wakes them up completely; it's a small step that makes the whole salad taste more intentional and rich.
  • If you dress the salad too far in advance, the greens will wilt and the vinegar will overwhelm everything—timing the assembly right before eating keeps it all in perfect balance.
03 -
  • If your balsamic vinegar tastes sharp or thin, warm it gently in a small pan and let it reduce by half—this concentrates the sweetness and mellows the acidity in a way that transforms the whole dressing.
  • Crumble your goat cheese by hand just before serving so it stays creamy and doesn't compress into little dense bits that are harder to distribute.
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