Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios
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This salad is, dare we say, the perfect combination of flavors. Roasted beet salad with goat cheese and pistachios is the very best of the earthy, tangy, and salty worlds. It’s so good.
Can we take a moment for the maple balsamic dressing? It’s semi-sweet and tangy, and it’s better than any bottled dressing you can buy at the store. Not to mention the maple balsamic dressing is paired with some pistachio-dusted goat cheese bites – holy yum!
Ingredients needed
Here’s what you’ll need to pull together this wicked roasted beet salad together:
For the salad:
- Beets: You can use small beets for this recipe or larger beets cut in quarters. It’s your choice if you want to peel them or not.
- Shallots: Unlike other onions which can be quite sharp, shallots have a delicate flavor. You’ll roast the shallots with the beets to bring out a wonderful sweetness.
- Olive Oil: This will be used to coat the beets and shallots before roasting in the oven.
- Pistachios: Part of the cashew family, pistachios are a slightly sweet nut that you’ll ground up to make into pistachio “dust”. This will be used to coat the outside of your goat cheese balls, offering a beautiful crunchy-creamy texture to the salad.
- Goat cheese: You’ll need ½ cup of creamy goat cheese to form into bite-sized balls. Rolling the goat cheese in ground pistachios takes this salad over the top!
- Arugula: Also called rocket, arugula will make up the base of your salad. It has a peppery flavor and hearty texture that makes this the perfect lettuce for the job.
How to make this roasted beet salad
The beauty in the salad lies in its “fancy beet salad” appearance and flavor combos, but also in its simplicity. Here’s how to make this roasted beet salad with goat cheese and pistachios:
- Roast the beets and shallots: Coat the beets and shallots separately with olive oil. Pop the beets in the oven for a 20-minute head start, then add the shallots and continue roasting for another 20 mins.
- Make the salad dressing: Combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Make the pistachio-crusted goat cheese bites: Grind the pistachios in a food processor and then add half of the “dust” to a large bowl. Drop the goat cheese rounds into the bowl and sprinkle with the remaining ground pistachios.
- Assemble: Toss the arugula and dressing and arrange on a plate or large bowl. Add the beets, pistachios, shallots, and any remaining pistachio grounds. And enjoy!
What to serve with roasted beet salad with goat cheese and pistachios
Guests and family members alike will be smitten with this lineup! Here’s some ideas of what to serve with your roasted beet salad:
Recipe FAQs
Are you supposed to peel beets before roasting?
It’s totally up to you. If you peel them, you will have a more uniform and bright purple color. Keep in mind they will stain your hands while peeling.
Can I use another type of cheese?
If you don’t like goat cheese you can substitute it for feta, parmesan, or a dairy-free alternative. Note that you won’t be able to include the pistachio-dusted goat cheese bites, but you can always sprinkle your preferred cheese plus the pistachios on top instead.
How long does beet salad stay fresh?
It will stay the freshest if you keep the salad and dressing separate. Keep the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. You can also roast the beet and shallots and make the goat cheese balls a day in advance.
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb small beets (or larger beets cut into quarters, peeled or not, your choice)
- 6 small shallots
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios
- ½ cup goat cheese
- 5 ounces arugula (or spring mix)
Maple Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the beets into a baking dish and mix them with half of the oil. Cover the baking dish with foil and roast the beets for 20 minutes. Toss the shallots with the remaining oil. Push the beets to one side of the baking dish and add the shallots to the other side. Replace the foil cover and continue to bake for another 20 minutes, until the beets and shallots are tender. When they come out of the oven, toss them with half of the dressing. (See step 2.)1 lb small beets, 6 small shallots, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- While the beets and shallots are roasting, prepare the dressing and the goat cheese balls. Add the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a jar. Seal the lid and shake to combine.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 pinch salt and pepper
- Put the pistachios into your food processor and process them until they are very fine. Transfer half of the ground pistachios to a wide bowl. Drop 24 teaspoons of goat cheese on top of the ground pistachios and then sprinkle the remaining ground pistachios over top. Roll the goat cheese into little balls. See notes.½ cup goat cheese, ⅓ cup shelled pistachios
- To assemble this salad, toss the arugula with the dressing and then arrange it on a large platter. Scatter the beets, shallots, pistachio goat cheese balls, and any leftover ground pistachios on top and serve right away.5 ounces arugula
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Thank you for the recipe! I bought some pre-steamed/cooked organic baby beets at Costco and was wondering if I could roast them? Will they come out the same as starting with raw beets? If so, how long should I roast them since they are pre-cooked? I have never roasted beets, so I appreciate your advice. Thanks!
You wouldn’t want to roast them, but you could warm them up and use them instead of the roasted beets. I have found that the cooked beets from Costco don’t have as much flavor as roasted beets so you might want to toss them in a little maple syrup first. 🙂
Roasted beets are the best, aren’t they?! I don’t know how I ever not liked them lol. 🙂
They’re so much easier when you don’t peel them, right?!
Oh yum! I love beets with goat cheese 🙂 it’s such a delicious combo. Great idea to roll the goat cheese in ground pistachios for a crunch!
It’s so good, isn’t it. Classic and always one of my favs. 🙂