Description
Mediterranean-inspired arugula and roasted beet salad delivers rich earthy flavors with tangy goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Crisp greens and sweet roasted vegetables promise a delightful balance you’ll savor with each refreshing bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) medium beets, tops and roots trimmed (about 6 beets)
- 5 oz (142 g) arugula
- 4 oz (113 g) goat cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup (75 g) roasted, salted shelled pistachios
- ⅓ cup (50 g) dried cranberries
- 1 small apple, diced (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ tsp kosher salt, plus additional to taste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
Instructions
- Roasting Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F and position baking dish for whole beets.
- Beet Steaming: Place beets in dish, add water, cover with aluminum foil to create moisture-rich environment for thorough cooking.
- Baking Process: Roast beets until fork-tender, approximately 50-70 minutes, allowing them to develop rich, concentrated flavors.
- Cooling and Preparation: Allow beets to cool completely, then peel and dice into uniform bite-sized cubes for optimal texture.
- Dressing Creation: Whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper into a vibrant, emulsified dressing.
- Initial Flavor Infusion: Coat warm beets with half the dressing, enabling them to absorb and enhance their natural sweetness.
- Salad Assembly: Gently toss arugula with dressed beets, ensuring harmonious flavor distribution and delicate leaf coating.
- Topping Layer: Generously sprinkle diced apple, chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese across the salad for textural complexity.
- Final Dressing: Drizzle remaining dressing to personal taste, allowing each ingredient to shine while maintaining balanced flavor profile.
- Presentation: Garnish with reserved toppings, creating visual interest and providing additional textural contrast.
- Serving Recommendation: Present salad warm or at room temperature to maximize flavor and enjoyment.
Notes
- Roasting Technique: Wrap beets tightly in foil with water to create steam, ensuring tender, evenly cooked roots without drying out.
- Flavor Infusion: Dress warm beets immediately to help them absorb the balsamic vinaigrette, intensifying their natural sweetness and depth.
- Ingredient Temperature: Allow beets to cool slightly before peeling to make skin removal easier and prevent burning fingers.
- Salad Assembly: Toss ingredients gently to maintain delicate textures and prevent bruising of arugula and fragile goat cheese crumbles.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg