Roasted Beet Salad with Walnut and Blue Cheese

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This Roasted Beet Salad with Walnut and Blue Cheese is delicious! A light and flavorful salad, it’s the perfect meal to make when you have someone over.

Are you afraid of beets? I used to be and my husband is still afraid of them. What is it about beets that puts them in the category of brussels sprouts and cauliflower? I remember pickled beets being slopped on my tray in the cafeteria line in elementary school and the memory is still chilling.

But one day, a really good cook and someone I trust with my tastebuds suggested I tried a roasted beet. It was divine. Aside from the gorgeous color, they are sweet and dense and just plain good. And good for you.

Being that I live near some of the best farmer’s markets that the world has to offer, I am pretty lucky to get crazy hybrid beets on any given day. Yellow, white, candy striped, purple, they are one of the most beautiful vegetables out there. If you think that you do not like beets, try them roasted. You’ll change your mind.

This roasted beet salad with walnut and blue cheese has infinite possibilities and I make about a thousand different versions of it. Play with it and see what you can come up with.

Ingredients //

The Salad:

• 5 beets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 5 cups salad greens
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup walnuts, crushed

The Dressing:

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp of something sweet (honey, maple syrup, orange marmalade, apricot preserves, you get the idea), I used maple syrup
• 2 tbsp of an acid (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, lemon juice), I used red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp of Dijon mustard
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions // How to Make

Step 1: Grab a piece of heavy tin foil and fold it in half. Peel the beets. (I recommend that you wear some gloves while peeling your beets otherwise you will have red-stained hands for the rest of the day.) 

Step 2: Quarter them and put them on the tin foil. Drizzle them with the olive oil and a generous dose of salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle the rosemary over the top.

Step 3: Fold up the tin foil to make a purse, place on a baking tray and put in a 400 degree oven for about an hour. They are done when you can stick a knife in one and get no resistance. In the meantime, make your dressing by following Step 4.

Step 4: Add the dressing ingredients in a Mason jar, put the lid on, and shake it really well. Open the jar and add anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil. I like a more vinegar-y dressing, but use the amount that tastes good to you. Put the lid back on and shake again. Put this in the fridge and just shake it up again before you use it.

Step 5: Place the salad greens in a bowl, add some of the dressing and toss. I do not like a salad heavy on the dressing and I like the leaves to just glisten from the oil and vinegar.

Step 6: Add the roasted beets on top. I had some blue cheese and walnuts leftover from the blue cheese bacon dip so I put them on as well.

Tips & Tricks //

• I don’t usually measure when I am making this, it is okay to just wing it.
• Taste the dressing on a salad leaf and go from there. I use a small Mason jar with a lid to shake and store this dressing.
• If you struggle with peeling your beets, try baking them in the oven first and (carefully) peel afterwards.

Serving Suggestions //

This was a perfect dinner salad. The beets are hearty enough to make it a meal. Some good crusty bread, like my Irish soda bread, is a great addition. If you’d rather have this beet salad as a side, it would go great with a protein-based dinner, like parmesan-crusted pork chops.

FAQs //

How to Store Roasted Beet Salad //

Some greens, like spinach and arugula, will wilt quickly. It’s best to store all of your ingredients separately and assemble them as and when you’re ready to eat them. The beets can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. If it’s too late and you’ve assembled all of your ingredients but can’t bare to eat them right now, place the salad in a bowl in the fridge with a paper towel over the top to soak up excess moisture, and try to eat it within the day.