Tender earthy beets, rich goat cheese, crunchy walnuts, creamy avocados, and peppery arugula all tossed in a sweet & spiced honey cinnamon balsamic dressing. Enjoy this Beet and Goat Cheese Salad as a nutritious lunch or as a colorful addition to any holiday table.
Why You’ll Love it:
- Colorful– vibrant greens and ruby red give this salad a gorgeous festive palette, making it perfect for dinner parties and holiday gatherings.
- Easy to Prepare– once the beets are cooked, this recipe can be thrown together in just a few minutes.
- Packed with Nutrients– beets have a rich nutritional profile of essential vitamins and minerals, such as fiber, vitamin B9, potassium, iron, and vitamin C.
Ingredient Notes:
Find the full list of ingredients & amounts in the recipe card below.
- Beets– a tender, earthy root vegetable that is packed with nutrients.
- Fresh Baby Greens– I like to use a mix of baby spinach and arugula for a nice balance of citrus and peppery notes.
- Crumbled Goat Cheese– this creamy, rich cheese pairs wonderfully with the sweet and earthy elements of this salad. If you aren’t a goat cheese fan, this can be replaced with crumbled feta cheese or Gorgonzola.
- Walnuts– for a slightly sweet & earthy crunch.
- Green Onions– add a hint of onion flavor without being overpowering.
Substitutions & Variations:
- Add Fruit: such as sweet diced pears, tangy granny smith apples, clementines, or dried cranberries.
- Add Crunch: add to the crunch or substitute the walnuts with pistachios, pecans, almond slivers, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts.
- Add Herbs: such as fresh mint, rosemary, or basil.
- Add Sharpness: with thinly sliced red onion or shallot.
- Add Protein: such as sliced grilled chicken or steak.
- To Make-Vegan: substitute the honey for maple syrup and omit the goat cheese.
How to Cook Beets:
- When shopping for beets, choose ones that are small to medium in size and firm when pressed (but not rock hard).
- Be sure to wear gloves while working with beets to avoid staining.
- Wash beets. Trim the stems and roots.
- Oven-Roasted Beets: pre-heat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Tightly wrap each beet in foil and arrange on baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour, until the largest beet is easily pierced. Unwrap beets and cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to peel away beet skin.
- Instant Pot Method: Place a rack at the bottom of Instant Pot, and add 1 cup of water. Place beets on rack in a single layer and pressure cook according to the following time chart:
- Small beets (2” diameter) -20 minutes
- Medium beets (2 1/2” diameter) – 30 minutes
- Large beets (3” diameter) – 40 minutes
- Beets can be pre-cooked up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- For more information and methods, check out this guide on how to cook beets from Feel Good Foodie.
How to Make Beet & Goat Cheese Salad:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper according to taste. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together all salad ingredients. Add dressing to taste and serve.
Tips & Recipe Notes:
- For a nut-free salad, substitute walnuts with sunflower seeds.
- To ensure salad doesn’t become too soggy, drizzle dressing over salad just before serving.
- For simplicity and to save time, you can use pre-roasted or canned beets. Many deli-sections now carry vacuum sealed pre-cooked beets (such as the brand ‘Love Beets’).
- If you want to serve your salad with a cleaner, less rustic look, serve in layers rather than mixing it all together. Add greens to serving dish, sprinkle with walnuts and avocados. Top with sliced beets, followed by crumbled goat cheese and green onions. Drizzle dressing on top.
Storage & Make Ahead:
- Dressing can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar or glass bowl.
- Clumps may form in leftover dressing due to the olive oil solidifying. To fix this, take dressing out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving and whisk well to reincorporate ingredients.
- Beets can be cooked up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Assemble Ahead- greens, walnuts, beets, and goat cheese can be assembled ahead of time. Add dressing and diced avocado right before serving.
More Holiday Side Dishes You Will Love:
- Honey Garlic Creamed Corn
- Honey Cornbread & Sausage Dressing
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Cheesy Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Bacon & Goat Cheese Green Bean Casserole
- Honey Butter Sweet Potato Mash
More Favorite Salad Recipes:
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Cinnamon Dijon Dressing
- Portillo’s Chopped Salad
- Roasted Broccoli, Butternut Squash & White Bean Salad
- Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Brunch Salad with Creamy Garlic Dill Dressing
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and review in the recipe card below! Your feedback is incredibly valuable. Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more delicious recipes, travel inspiration, and behind-the-scenes content.
Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Cinnamon Balsamic Dressing
Tender earthy beets, rich goat cheese, crunchy walnuts, creamy avocados, and peppery arugula all tossed in a sweet & spiced honey cinnamon balsamic dressing. Enjoy this Beet & Goat Cheese as a nutritious lunch or as a colorful addition to any holiday table.
Ingredients
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 2 cups cooked beets sliced
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/4 cup green onion sliced
Honey Cinnamon Balsamic Dressing:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper according to taste. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together all salad ingredients. Add dressing to taste and serve.
Notes
- How to Cook Beets:
- When shopping for beets, choose ones that are small to medium and that are firm when pressed (but not rock hard)
- Be sure to wear gloves while working with beets to avoid staining.
- Wash beets. Trim the stems and roots.
- Oven-Roasted Beets: pre-heat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with foil. Tightly wrap each beet in foil and arrange on baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour, until the largest beet is easily pierced. Unwrap beets and cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to peel away beet skin.
- Instant Pot Method: Place a rack at the bottom of Instant Pot, and add 1 cup of water. Place beets on rack in a single layer and pressure cook according to the following time chart:
Small beets (2” diameter) -20 minutes
Medium beets (2 1/2” diameter) – 30 minutes
Large beets (3” diameter) – 40 minutes
- Beets can be cooked up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- For simplicity and to save time, you can use pre-roasted or canned beets. Many deli-sections now carry vacuum sealed pre-cooked beets (such as the brand ‘Love Beets’).
- Dressing can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar or glass bowl.
- Clumps may form in leftover dressing due to the olive oil solidifying. To fix this, take dressing out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving and whisk well to reincorporate ingredients.
- To ensure salad doesn’t become too soggy, drizzle dressing over salad just before serving.
- Assemble Ahead– greens, walnuts, beets, and goat cheese can be assembled ahead of time. Add dressing and diced avocado right before serving.
- If you want to serve your salad with a cleaner, less rustic look, serve in layers rather than mixing it all together. Add greens to serving dish, sprinkle with walnuts and avocados. Top with sliced beets, followed by crumbled goat cheese and green onions. Drizzle dressing on top.
- To Make Nut-Free, substitute walnuts with sunflower seeds.
- To make Vegan, substitute the honey with maple syrup and omit goat cheese and yogurt.
- Nutritional Information is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients and amounts used.
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 22.8gProtein: 12.5gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 7.5gCholesterol: 30.4mgFiber: 7.4gSugar: 13.6g
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!