Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
I recently checked out some Ina Garten cookbooks from the library and decided to make a couple of her recipes for dinner. This balsamic roasted beet salad in The Barefoot Contessa – Foolproof cookbook looked amazing. I knew this salad would make my husband very happy because he loves beets! When I was at my local grocery store, I was telling the lady at the cheese counter that I wanted a very mild goat cheese for this salad and she suggested a few kinds of cheese one of which was a sheep milk cheese. It was tangy and really delicious so I decided to use it instead. If you can’t find sheep milk cheese, goat cheese, or feta cheese would work well with this salad as well. I really loved the combination of spicy arugula, sweetened balsamic beets, tangy cheese & vinaigrette, and the salty crunch from the Marcona almonds. We all loved this salad – even my kids. They both thought the sheep milk cheese was delicious. I love that they were willing to try it!
How to Make a Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Wrap each beet individually in tin foil. Place into the oven and roast for 55-65 minutes, or until tender when poked with a knife.
While the beets roast, make the balsamic vinaigrette by combining the vegetable oil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard together in a small jar. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place the lid on the jar and shake until well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to mingle.
Remove the roasted beets from the oven then unwrap the foil and set them aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Peel the beets with a small sharp knife over parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board. Cut each beet into 4-6 wedges. Place the warm beet wedges into a large glass bowl. Drizzle some of the balsamic vinaigrette on top then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; toss to coat evenly.
Place the arugula/spinach mix in a separate bowl. Drizzle with a bit of vinaigrette to coat the leaves; toss to coat evenly. Place the dressed arugula/spinach on a serving plate then arrange with the beets, almonds, and sheep milk cheese crumbles. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette and season with freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 4 small beets scrubbed clean
- ¼ cup good balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 4 cups arugula and spinach mix
- ¼ cup Marcona almonds
- 2 oz soft sheep milk cheese or goat cheese, or feta cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Wrap each beet individually in tin foil.
- Place into the oven and roast for 55-65 minutes, or until tender when poked with a knife.
- While the beets roast, make the balsamic vinaigrette by combining the vegetable oil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard together in a small jar. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Place the lid on the jar and shake until well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to mingle.
- Remove the roasted beets from the oven then unwrap the foil and set them aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Peel the beets with a small sharp knife over parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.
- Cut each beet into 4-6 wedges.
- Place the warm beet wedges into a large glass bowl.
- Drizzle some of the balsamic vinaigrette on top then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; toss to coat evenly.
- Place the arugula/spinach mix in a separate bowl.
- Drizzle with a bit of vinaigrette to coat the leaves; toss to coat evenly.
- Place the dressed arugula/spinach on a serving plate then arrange with the beets, almonds, and sheep milk cheese crumbles.
- Drizzle with additional vinaigrette and season with freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Delicious, light yet full of flavour!
Looks like a terrific way to fix beets. I bet they were delicious.
My husband can’t stand beets! Most of what he says about them is not family-friendly, but it sets our sons roaring with laughter. Good for your kids being game to try new foods!
I love the idea of borrowing cookbooks from the library! I should totally do that more so I can discover recipe gems like this!