Beet Salad with Feta

Deep red and golden roasted beets tossed with vinaigrette, herbs, feta, and nuts in a salad bowl.

3 from 1 vote

A beautiful and healthy salad for fall and winter. Roast beets ahead of time then it's easy to assemble and enjoy. Using both red and gold beets creates more color but one color is good too. Be sure to wear disposable kitchen gloves for working with beets!

Prep Time5

Cook Time45

Total Time50

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 285kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

Disposable kitchen gloves

Ingredients

To roast beets

2 pounds raw beets, medium-sized red, gold, or both, tops on
1-2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Beet salad

3 ounces feta cheese preferably Greek feta
2 ounces pine nuts walnuts, or pecans
1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs parsley, dill, and/or mint

Vinaigrette

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar balsamic or red wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove zested or chopped very fine (optional)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper optional

Instructions

Roast beets

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Trim top greens leaving 1-inch of beet stem. Scrub beets clean and dry with paper towels.
Place a double layer of heavy foil large enough to wrap the beets all together on the counter. Place the beets in the center and drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt. Roast beets until very tender, 45-60 minutes depending on size. The larger the beets the longer they take. When done you should be able to easily pierce through them with a thin metal skewer like a cake tester.
When beets are done, open packet and cool until you can handle them, then peel with a vegetable peeler, paring knife, or by rubbing with paper towels.

Make the vinaigrette

While the beets are roasting, make the vinaigrette. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Alternatively add to a jar with a tight lid and shake well.

Make the beet salad

Chop the beets into approximately ¾" cubes and add to a medium bowl. Add two tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss to coat the beets.
Sprinkle in the crumbled cheese, nut, and chopped herbs. Add more vinaigrette if desired or serve extra on the side. Beet salad is ready to serve.
If making the salad ahead of time, ready the components and refrigerate separate. Combine and dress when ready to serve. Leftover beet salad lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The cheese will turn pink! Add more dressing if needed.

Notes

Swap goat cheese for the feta cheese.

Walnuts are terrific as are these glazed maple pecans.

Use a flavored olive oil such as lemon, blood orange, or basil.

Use lemon juice or orange juice instead of vinegar.

Thin slices of red onion are a nice addition.

Nutrition