This Beetroot Salad with Goats Cheese is uncomplicated and delicious. Sweet, salty, crunchy and fresh, this salad has it all. The honey candied walnuts add a delightful sweetness and crunch to the salad, balanced out beautifully with the tender boiled red beets and creamy goat cheese, all topped with a honey, balsamic dressing.
This beet salad recipe is such a classic, that makes for a perfect side dish to your favorite protein as a main meal or a light lunch. The earthy beets not only taste delicious, but they are also highly nutritious, providing dietary fiber, iron, potassium and vitamin C, to name just a few!
Some Beetroot salads use roasted beets, however I have opted for boiled beetroot as boiled beets have a beautiful, subtle flavor and sweetness. Made using honey candied walnuts, this beetroot and goats cheese salad recipe is absolutely delicious!
If you would like to try a roasted beet salad then I would recommend trying my other beetroot salad recipes, Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad or my Autumn Roasted Vegetable Salad.
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What You'll Love About Beetroot Salad with Goats Cheese
- great for entertaining - this beet goat cheese salad is a show-stopping salad - perfect for when you want to impress your guests at your next dinner party.
- the perfect side salad - serve alongside other salads and your choice of proteins for a beautiful spread.
- great source of iron - beets and beetroot leaves are a great source of vegetarian iron!
Ingredients for Beetroot Salad
The ingredients for this beetroot, feta, walnut salad are easy to find from your local grocery store. I've listed all of the ingredients that you will need below as well as any notes and possible substitutions. The ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. I always recommend buying good quality ingredients.
- fresh beetroot - for this recipe I've used red beetroot, however you can use golden beets instead, or a combination of both. You will need whole, fresh beetroot.
- rocket (or arugula) - for the salad greens I've used arugula (known as rocket in Australia) and also the beet greens. If you're lucky enough to get fresh produce with nice green leaves, use these to make up part of your salad leaves. You can also swap for other leafy greens like mixed lettuce leaves or baby spinach.
- walnuts - you could also use pecans in place of walnuts. Walnuts are a great source of plant-based omega 3.
- honey - I've used honey to candy the walnuts. You could also try using pure maple syrup or brown rice malt syrup, though I haven't tested these so can't guarantee how well it will work!
- goats chèvre - also known as goat's cheese - goats chévre is the soft and creamy goat's cheese. I prefer to use goats cheese that has been marinated in oil. If you can't find marinated soft goats cheese then you can also use a soft feta cheese like Danish feta.
- sea salt flakes - I always use sea salt flakes. If using finely ground sea salt then you will need to use much less. Just a pinch will do!
Balsamic Salad Dressing Ingredients
- balsamic vinegar
- honey
- wholegrain mustard
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
How Make Beetroot Goat's Cheese Salad
Read onto let me show you how to make this easy salad recipe, all with step-by-step instructions and photos.
Boil Beets
To boil the beetroots, slice the ends off the raw beetroot and place the whole beets into a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, with the lid on. Simmer the beetroot until you can easily pierce the beetroot through the centre with a skewer. This will take about an hour.
Remove the beets from the pot of water and into a colander. Let them cool to room temperature, or at least cool to the touch. Now it's time to remove the skin from the beetroot. If you want to avoid getting purple hands then I would recommend wearing food safe gloves.
Take one of the beets and use your fingers to peel the skin off the beets, discarding of the skin. Repeat until all of the beetroot is peeled. Now slice the beetroot into wedges and set aside.
Make Candied Walnuts
To make the honey candied walnuts, pour the honey into a medium saucepan. Add the salt and bring to a low heat. Stir the honey mixture to help the salt to dissolve. The honey will start bubbling. At this point turn off the heat and add the walnuts. Stir really well to coat all of the walnuts with the honey.
Tip the walnuts out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or roasting tin and place into the oven to bake for 7 minutes. Keep a close on them so that they don't burn, as all ovens heat slightly differently! Once the walnuts are golden, remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
Make the Balsamic Dressing
To make the salad dressing, add the extra-virgin olive oil, seeded mustard, salt and honey to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, whisking until the dressing is glossy and well combined.
Assemble the Salad
To assemble the salad, spread out the arugula and beet leaves across the base of a large platter or serving dish. Top with the sliced beetroot, crumble the feta over the top and then top with the candied walnuts. Drizzle the salad with the balsamic dressing before serving.
Storage
Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This salad stores for longer when the dressing is left off the salad, so if you're meal prepping this for healthy lunches throughout the week, for best results leave the dressing off until the day of eating.
FAQ
Yes! Beetroot leaves are edible! When buying beetroot, look for a bunch with the freshest looking leaves. When you prepare the beetroot for this recipe, remove the beetroot leaves and rinse.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Large Saucepan with Lid
- Sharp knife
- Jar with lid
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Chopping Board
- Baking Paper
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 550 grams beetroot whole, about 5 medium sized
Candied Walnuts
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- pinch sea salt flakes
Honey Balsamic Dressing
- 60 millilitre olive oil extra virgin
- 40 millilitre balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons seeded mustard
- 1 teaspoons honey
- pinch sea salt
Assembly
- 120 grams arugula or beet leaves or both
- 100 grams goats chevre
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 Fahrenheit). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare Beetroot
- Remove the ends from the beetroot and add the whole beets into a large saucepan and top with water. Place the lid onto the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer for one hour. After one hour, check to see if the beetroot is cooked by piercing with a skewer. If the beetroot can be easily pierced to the centre, it is cooked. If not, continue to cook for a further 15 minutes and then check again.550 grams beetroot
- Once cooked, turn off the heat and carefully transfer the boiled beetroots into a colander. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool to the touch, use fingers to peel the skin off the beetroot. Discard the skin and slice the beetroot into wedges.
Candied Walnuts
- Meanwhile, candy the walnuts. Add the honey to a saucepan along with the salt on a medium-low heat. Stir to combine.
- Once the honey is bubbling, turn off the heat and add the walnuts into the pan. Stir to coat the walnuts evenly in the honey mixture.1 cup walnuts, 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- Pour the walnuts out onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Place into the oven and bake for 7 minutes or until golden.
Honey Balsamic Dressing
- Make the dressing by adding the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, seeded mustard, honey and sea salt to a small bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are well combined and begin to thicken and turn glossy.60 millilitre olive oil, 40 millilitre balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons seeded mustard, 1 teaspoons honey, pinch sea salt
Assemble
- To assemble the salad, spread rocket out onto serving platter or into a salad bowl. Top with beetroot wedges, and candied walnuts. Crumble feta over the top of the salad and then drizzle with balsamic dressing.100 grams goats chevre
- Serve straight away once dressed. If serving later, don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve.
Notes
Storage
- leftover dressing can be stored in the fridge in a sealed glass jar for two weeks.
- dress the salad just before serving, if making the salad for serving later then avoid dressing until serving.
Nutrition
Did you make this salad? Let us know how you went by rating the recipe and commenting below.
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