This Golden Beet Salad features tender roasted golden beets, peppery arugula, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a tangy shallot vinaigrette for the perfect salad that's full of flavor and texture. A wonderful vegetable side dish or a great salad course for a dinner party!
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Nothing stops me dead in my tracks at the farmer's market more than golden beets! Red beets' milder, sweeter cousin is just perfect for a light, fresh and delicious salad. Even if you're not a fan of beets, these sweet yellow beets, just bursting with beautiful golden color, have been known to convert even the most adamant of haters.
Not only are beets delicious, but they're packed with nutrients including calcium, iron, potassium and protein, offering a range of health benefits. I could go on and on about one of my favorite vegetables!
For more veggie-forward side dishes, you've got to try this tomato and garlic confit and my fiesta salad next!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Versatile Salad: I love making this salad for a dinner party or adding a protein to transform it into a satisfying lunch.
- Easy to Make Ahead: If you like to meal prep for the week or need a dish you can prep in advance for an event, this salad is a great option. The beets and the dressing can be prepared ahead of time and then thrown together right before serving.
- Full of color and texture: This golden beef salad is colorful, elegant, and full of exciting flavors and textures.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Just a few simple ingredients are all you need for this easy recipe.
- Golden Beets: I love the flavor of golden beets in this salad, but you can definitely substitute red beets or use both for a delightfully colorful beet salad.
- Arugula: This peppery green is the perfect complement to the earthy flavor of beets.
- Pistachios: Roasted and salted pistachios add great texture. Crunchy walnuts, toasted sliced almonds, or pepitas could also be substituted.
- Goat Cheese: Crumbled goat cheese adds creaminess and tangy flavors. You can also substitute feta cheese or even a ball of burrata if you prefer a different flavor.
- Shallot: From the onion family, it's milder in flavor than regular onions and works great in salad dressings. If you need to swap it out you can use the white part of green onions for a similar mild flavor.
- White wine vinegar: I love the more complex flavor of white wine vinegar, but you can substitute red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, white balsamic vinegar or even lemon juice if you want.
- Dijon mustard: The emulsifier in the dressing that keeps it from separating. It also brings a zesty flavor.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness. Maple syrup is also a great option as well.
- Olive Oil: Use the good stuff! My go to extra-virgin olive oil for making my own dressings is always The Furies.
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities you need of each one.
Variations
- Add a Protein: Bulk up the salad by adding some grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, or even some sheet pan salmon to the salad. If you want to keep it meatless, add some garbanzo beans or white beans.
- Add Grains: Cooked quinoa, barley, or farro also bulk up the salad, making it heartier.
- Add Fresh Herbs: To add even more flavor, try soft fresh herbs like mint, tarragon, chives, chervil, parsley or thinly sliced basil leaves.
How to Cook Golden Beets
This is the first step in making our healthy beet salad. Roasting is my favorite method because it softens the earthiness of the beets and makes them a bit sweeter. Foil packets are the perfect way to get get perfectly roasted beets as it creates steam inside the package, helping to concentrate their flavor and prevent them from drying out.
PRO TIP: You can do this ahead of time and have them ready to go in the refrigerator for whenever the beet salad craving hits.
Step 1: Prep the Beets. Cut the tops off to remove the beet greens and scrub the beets clean, they can be really dirty! Place a large piece of foil on a baking sheet. Add the beets on one half of the foil sheet.
Step 2: Season and Wrap. Drizzle the beets with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Fold the other half of the foil over the beet and crimp the edges, creating a foil packet. Roast the beets in a 350° F oven, until tender. The total time will depend on the size of your beets but expect at least 45-50 minutes.
Step 3: Cool and Peel. Allow the beets to cool to room temperature before peeling off the skins. They should just slip right off!
Step 4: Cut for the Salad. Cut the beets into bite-sized wedges or cubes for the salad.
PRO TIP: If for some reason you the peels won't completely rub off, use a paring knife to remove any remaining tough spots or peel the beets under cold water to remove any stubborn parts.
Assemble the Golden Beet Salad
- Step 1: Make the dressing. Whisk together the minced shallot, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 2: Make the salad. Toss the arugula with a small amount of dressing until just moistened. Arrange the beets, chopped pistachios, and crumbled goat cheese on top. Drizzle the salad with more vinaigrette or serve with extra on the side.
Jessica's Pro Tips
- Make the beets ahead. Your yellow beets can be roasted, peeled, sliced and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in advance.
- Storing the dressing. The vinaigrette can also be made a few days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The dressing may separate and the oil may solidify in the fridge, but don't worry. Simply let it sit out at room temperature or run the jar under warm water until everything is liquefied then shake well before serving.
- Assemble close to serving. The salad is best enjoyed once assembled as the arugula get soggy the more time it sits. For the best results, store the components separately and assemble portions right before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- This golden beet salad works so many different main dishes whether you're planning a weeknight dinner or holiday meal. Try it with my garlic and herb crusted roasted eye of round beef or spatchcock chicken.
- Add it as a side dish for your favorite pasta recipes like this mushroom pappardelle or green pasta.
- Pair it with other vegetable forward soups for the ultimate soup and salad combo. This carrot ginger soup and Kuri squash soup are just a few ideas.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Golden Beet Salad with Arugula
Ingredients
- 1 bunch golden beets 4-5 medium beets
- 4 cups arugula
- 2 oz goat cheese
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios
- ¼ cup olive oil plus more for roasting beets
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly wash beets and remove beet greens. Place beets on a sheet of foil on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil over beets and fold together edges, creating a sealed packet.
- Roast for 40-50 minutes until fork tender. Let cool to room temperature, then remove skins and cut into wedges.
- While the beets are roasting, make the vinaigrette. Shake in a small mason jar or whisk together minced shallot, vinegar, dijon mustard, honey and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add arugula and sliced beets to a large bowl and toss with a small amount of dressing just to moisten.
- Transfer to a serving dish and top with crumbled goat cheese and chopped pistachios. Drizzle with more dressing or serve on the side. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Roasted beets can be refrigerated whole or sliced in airtight container for 5-7 days.
- Vinaigrette can be made ahead and stored in refrigerator for up to a week. The dressing may separate and the oil may solidify in the fridge. Let it sit out at room temperature or run the jar under warm water until everything is liquefied then shake well before serving.
- The salad is best enjoyed once assembled as the arugula get soggy the more time it sits. For the best results, store the components separately and assemble portions right before serving.
- Cooking time may be longer for larger beets. Continue cooking until you can easily pierce the beet with a fork.
Nutrition
Sharone Trager
Wow! One of the best salad ever!
Perfect recipe!!!
I made it without the goat cheese, for a vegan version and it was still perfect.
Thank you!
Tamara
Beets are my absolute favorite and were delicious in this salad! I’ll definitely be making this again soon.
Jazz
I order beet salad whenever I see it on a restaurant menu so I was excited to come across your recipe. It did not disappoint. Delicious and very easy to make at home. Thank you!
Britney
I LOVE beets and this recipe really allowed them to shine. That vinaigrette was incredible too! This was such a delicious salad.
Taneisha
This was such a great summertime salad that I'll be definitely making year-round because it's just that good!! Loved all the flavours and textures!
Kaluhi
The goat cheese added such a beautiful deliciousness and went so well with the fruitiness!! So simple yet the flavors so explosive!
Robin
What a lovely, fresh summer salad! I will be preparing it for guests again soon.
Camille
I'm usually not a fan of beets but I grew some this year and was wondering what to make with them. The salad was the perfect blend of flavors...I'll definitely make it again. thank you so much!xx
Marta
Any dish that combines arugula and beets is a winner, but when you add my favorite goat cheese and pistachios, I'm over-the-moon in love. I'll definitely be making this more often.
Lilly
I am so happy I found this recipe! I picked up some golden beets at my local farmers market this past weekend and wasn't sure what to do with them. I made this recipe today and it's so so good! I love the simple vinaigrette with the roasted beets and the goat cheese just takes it over the top. I cannot wait to pick up more beets to make this again!