Roasted Beet Salad

This Roasted Beet Salad recipe with goat cheese and balsamic dressing is the perfect side dish, but it is hearty enough to be a dinner on it’s own. Serve it with a bowl of New England Clam Chowder and a big slice of beer bread and you have a great meal.

As I mentioned the other day, when I was talking about how to roast beets, I have been obsessed with that dark pink root vegetable lately. And guys . . . . so have you! I immediately started getting comments from people on social media about how much they love beets, and how they are great they are on their own.

But guys, I’m here to tell you, they are also amazing in this salad!

So back in January, my brother was talking to me about how he was revamping his diet. He was going vegan. Or as he would like to say, “A whole foods plant based diet – if your grandma wouldn’t recognize it, don’t eat it.” My brother has never been a health food nut – I’ve watched him down a rice krispies treat in two bites and wash it down with a beer.

Recently.

But he made this amazing point about how our genetics (his and mine) aren’t really on our side. My mom died in her very early sixties from stage four cancer. Her sister died from cancer only a few years before that. My dad, despite exercising nearly every day of his adult life, had a valve replacement. Plus there is a decent history of cancer on his side.

So . . . . I kind of see his point.

Reluctantly.

I’m not going vegan any time soon – and neither is this salad – but I see the merit in only eating what my grandma would recognize.

Enter this delicious salad. There are so many different things you could put in this salad, but I have to say that I love it as is.

WHAT IS IN A ROASTED BEET SALAD

• Roasted Beets
• Butternut Squash
• Pecans
• Goat Cheese
• Mixed Greens
• Balsamic Dressing

HOW TO MAKE A ROASTED BEET SALAD

1. This salad starts with roasted beets. I actually roasted them right at the same time as the butternut squash, since they cook about the same length of time. I love the dark color of the beets, with the yellow of the butternut squash, but this would be delicious with golden beets too.
2. Cut up a large butternut squash and toss it with some salt and pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. Spread it on a baking sheet with the beets wrapped up in foil. If you aren’t digging on the butternut squash, you could always swap it out for some roasted sweet potatoes.
3. This salad starts with roasted beets. I actually roasted them right at the same time as the butternut squash, since they cook about the same length of time. I love the dark color of the beets, with the butternut squash, but this would be delicious with golden beets too.
4. Cut up a large butternut squash and toss it with some salt and pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. Spread it on a baking sheet with the beets wrapped up in foil. If you aren’t digging on the butternut squash, you could always swap it out for some roasted sweet potatoes.
5. The goat cheese works perfectly in this salad. You can buy it as a log and crumble it yourself, otherwise, you can buy it pre crumbled and toss it in.
6. I love the pecans in this salad. But you could definitely replace them with some sunflower seeds, like I did in this salad.
7. Making your own balsamic dressing is very easy, but don’t let that hold you back from making this. Grab a bottle at the store and call it a day!