The sweetness of the beetroot and salty creaminess of the goats cheese make them the perfect combination for an easy salad. With a little crunch from the walnuts, this Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad proves that salads are far more than just greens and they don't have to be boring. Great as either a side dish of a light lunch.
We are all about the salads at the moment and we are on a mission to show just have versatile and filling a salad can be. Once you have a bed of subtly dressed greens, your options are almost endless. We like a mixture of textures with plenty of crunch, some creaminess and some chunky vegetables, and this beetroot salad ticks all the boxes.
What I love about salad is the simplicity of them. You don't want to over complicate the flavours and have too much competing against each other. This is a hearty and filling salad that can either be serves on the side of chicken or fish or as a light lunch.
Jump to:
Why should you try it?
- A great way to use beetroot
- Ready in just 5 minutes
- Easy to adapt with different ingredients
Step by step
One: Make the salad dressing by combining the oil, balsamic, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper. Place the salad leaves in a large bowl and add the dressing. Mix well so that all the leaves are coated.
Two: Roughly chop the beetroot and add on top of the salad leaves.
Three: Add the goats cheese...
Four: ...and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper (if desired) and it's ready to serve.
What beetroot to use
We made a shortcut with this salad and used ready cooked beetroot from a packet. Whilst we are all for making things from scratch, peeling beetroot, cooking for 40 minutes and having purple hands for the rest of the day is just a bit to much sometimes. So we buy it ready cooked.
If you wanted to use raw beetroot, then peel and chop the beetroot in to chunks, mix with some olive oil (I like to add some balsamic too) and then roast for about 40 minutes until softened.
Beetroot salad dressing
A dressing can really make or break a salad, so it's important to put some thought in to it. There needs to be a delicate balance of oil and vinegar, some sweetness (in my opinion) and a little kick from some mustard goes a long way. It also needs to be seasoned correctly, so always do a taste test after adding salt and pepper.
We use the best quality olive oil we can buy and often use balsamic vinegar because it has that touch of sweetness to it. Again, you want to use the best quality possible as you can really taste the difference.
We also sometimes add a drizzle of honey over the finished salad which goes really well with the beetroot and goats cheese.
What else can be added?
The great thing about a salad is that you never have to make it the same way twice. Because this is quite a hearty and filling salad, we like to lighten it up by adding some orange or grapefruit slice to it. You could always add slices of strawberries or some blueberries to it.
Feel free to change the cheese and nuts used too. You could use feta instead of a more traditional soft goats cheese and you could swap with walnuts for pecans or cashews. Want to give this salad a protein boost? Add some cooked chickpeas or quinoa.
Can it be made in advance?
Yes, you can, but don't make it too far in advance though, as the beetroot will stain the goats cheese and make everything purple. Not that that's really a big deal, but it doesn't make it look its best.
You could always dress the greens in advance and chop the toppings up and put in to separate bowls and then top just before serving.
What to serve with this
I think this salad is pretty perfect the way it is, but if you are serving it as a side salad then it would go well with grilled chicken or salmon. If you are having it as a light lunch, then we like some warm crusty bread on the side of it.
Extra tips
- If you don't want to have purple hands for the rest of the day, then wear gloves when chopping the beetroot.
- You can swap the walnuts for pecans or cashews and use feta instead of a goats cheese log if you prefer.
- Some cooked chickpeas give this salad a little protein boost.
- We used ready cooked beetroot, but you can roast chunks of peeled beetroot with some olive oil for 40 minutes until softened.
- Take this salad to the next level by adding a drizzle of honey over the finished salad.
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Recipe
Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 100 g salad leaves
- 100 g beetroot (ready cooked), chopped into chunks
- 30 g goats cheese crumbled
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 0.5 lemon (juice only)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- 30 g walnuts broken into pieces
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing by combining the oil, balsamic, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper. Place the salad leaves in a large bowl and add the dressing. Mix well so that all the leaves are coated.
- Top with the beetroot...
- ... Goats cheese...
- ... and walnuts.
Notes
- If you don't want to have purple hands for the rest of the day, then wear gloves when chopping the beetroot.
- You can swap the walnuts for pecans or cashews and use feta instead of a goats cheese log if you prefer.
- Some cooked chickpeas give this salad a little protein boost.
- We used ready cooked beetroot, but you can roast chunks of peeled beetroot with some olive oil for 40 minutes until softened.
- Take this salad to the next level by adding a drizzle of honey over the finished salad.
Raia
Beets and goat cheese is one of my favorite flavor combos! So delicious!
Kristen
This recipe is so great! The flavors are amazing and it was perfect for summer. Thank you!
Tisha
I don't think I've ever had beetroot before! But this salad looks incredible!
Tatiana
This beet salad is a must make for my BBQ’s this Summer! Such a gorgeous salad!
Tara B
I would have to add some kind of meat to this, maybe grilled chicken, but it looks delicious. I love beets but don’t cook them enough.
Dawn
We had this for dinner last night and it was delicious. Lovely and light and perfect for the heatwave we are having.
Dannii
Yay. I am happy you liked it.
Terri
I love that I can get bagged beetroot-didn’t know that! And I agree... love the simplicity of salad.
Jacqueline Debono
You had me at goat cheese because I am such a fan! I can imagine that beetroot would be a great pairing with goat cheese. Certainly this salad looks fab! Need to make this at the weekend!
Elizabeth
MMm I am loving the flavours you've used in this recipe! I've got such a fondness for beetroot.
Heidy L. McCallum
Two of my favorite ingredients in life, goats cheese and beetroots-- my husband doesn't care for the beetroots but that just means more for me lol and that's my happy place fork deep in a wonderful looking salad such as this one!!!
SHANIKA
This salad looks great! I'm loving the combo fo beet root and goat cheese! Such bold, delicious flavors!
Kelly Anthony
I absolutely love a beet and goat cheese salad especially in the summer when I don't feel like eating a hot meal.
Jess
What a great combination of tasty ingredients! My favorite salads are salads with goat cheese. I'll definitely be trying this recipe!
Katie
Yum!!! This is my favorite kind of salad to order in restaurants, and I simply never thought of roasting beets at home to make my own! I'm also obsessed with goat cheese, so this recipe is a total winner!
Lucy Parissi
I do like the addition of nuts in this salad - they do seem to help satiate my appetite nicely. Great tip to wear gloves for the beetroot prep too - thanks for the recipe & all the information.
Michele Peterson
What a beautiful-looking salad! Thanks for the tip on wearing gloves when preparing the beets and waiting to combine the ingredients until almost ready to serve. I alsays forget how much beets can stain!
Helen of Fuss Free Flavours
Beetroot is such a good addition for salads. The colour is fantastic, and the flavour is delicious. When the weather is so warm, it is always nice to have a lighter meal and this really is ideal. Would be perfect for a picnic too.
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog
This is a beautiful and tasty salad, thanks for reminding me, I need to try it again!
Annie @ Annie's Noms
This looks beautiful and so vibrant! I love all the flavours going on too, this is so perfect for hot days when you don't want a big meal!
Shashi at SavorySpin
I'm a huge fan of beetroot - it's tasta and coloring are hard to beat so I am loving the combination of beets and goat cheese in this salad - it has me drooling!