Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad & Dressing

This roasted beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts is simple, healthy, and lightly tossed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It’s the ultimate healthy side dish!

This post was originally published on 09.11.2019. It’s been updated with helpful content + fresh images on 09.28.2020.

Beets are one of my favourite veggies, but I can admit they can be a bit intimidating to cook with. I promise you that this recipe for Balsamic Roasted Beets is just a few straightforward steps!

In this recipe, beets are oven-roasted and then paired with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, crumbled goat cheese, walnuts, and fresh herbs. These balsamic roasted beets can be enjoyed as a salad or as a veggie side dish.

Even better? You can get an extra side dish by cooking up those beet greens, too! It’s such an awesome way to reduce food waste.

Curious to learn more? In this post we’ll cover:

• How to roast beets in the oven
• Tips for making less of a mess when cooking beets
• How to make the balsamic dressing for these beets
• The health + nutrition benefits of eating beets
• How to cook + season those beet greens
• More easy, healthy vegetable side dishes for you to try

Let’s get cooking!

How To Roast Beets

While there are many different ways to roast beets (e.g. whole, in foil, etc.), my personal preference is as follows:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Remove greens from beets and set aside (don’t throw them out!). Cut ends off beets.
3. With a vegetable peeler, remove the skin.
4. Slice beets into 6 pieces. Each piece will be roughly 1-inch.
5. Toss pieces with olive oil and salt.
6. Spread beets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure to leave adequate space between each piece.
7. Roast for about 30-35 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Beets are done when they are fork-tender!

Cooking Beets: Tips For Preventing A Mess

Unfortunately, roasting beets can be a little messy (worth it though, IMO)! Some tips?

• Line your cutting board with parchment paper to prevent staining
• Peel beets directly into the sink for easier clean-up
• Wear an apron, or at least don’t wear white!
• Choose GOLDEN beets rather than red beets – they do not stain or make a mess at all

Beet Salad Dressing

The homemade balsamic dressing to go with these roasted beets is so easy to make! It’s packed with simple, healthy ingredients – most of which you likely have on hand in your pantry.

All you need to do is add the following ingredients to a jar, cover with a lid, and give it a good shake. You can also whisk them together in a small bowl, if you’d prefer:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp honey
• Salt + pepper, to taste

PS – feel free to use this balsamic dressing on any salad recipe you’d like. I love it on this Strawberry, Tomato & Avocado Salad, for instance 😉

Benefits Of Eating Beets

The root portion of the beet plant is rich in nutrition. One cup of beetroot provides about 15% of your daily fibre needs, along with micronutrients like:

• vitamin C
• iron
• vitamin B6
• magnesium
• potassium
• folate

Beets are rich in different phytochemicals that give them their vibrant colours. These phytochemicals are known to support health overall (many of them act as antioxidants)!

Beetroots are also known for their dietary nitrate content, which your body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps to dilate your blood vessels, increase blood flow, improve exercise endurance, and even to lower blood pressure.

How To Cook & Season Beet Greens

Please do not throw those beautiful beet leaves away! You can easily get two healthy side dishes out of this one vegetable.

Like their roots, beet greens are full of micronutrients like vitamin K, A, C, copper, potassium, and magnesium (among many others).

They can be used just like any other leafy green. Simply remove them from the stems and give them a good wash in a salad spinner, then prepare as desired.

My favourite way to cook them is to sauté them in a pan with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt for a few minutes until wilted.

More Vegetable Side Dishes

• Roasted Zucchini With Parmesan & Basil
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Hemp Seed Pesto
• Balsamic Roasted Broccoli With Basil
• Roasted Asparagus With Pecan Parmesan
• Juicy Oven-Roasted Radishes

Did you give this Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad With Goat Cheese & Walnuts a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

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