Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Roasted beets are tender and sweet with a slight earthy flavor.  My Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette has creamy goat cheese, dried cranberries, pepitos and navel oranges all nestled in a bed of baby kale tossed with a sweet citrus dressing.  This salad is perfect for an entree salad or side dish. 

(Blue’s Best Life is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program.  I earn a small commission if you purchase through those links.  This helps me keep the blog going! -Bobbie)

I love roasted beets because it brings out their natural sweetness. You can easily pop beets in the oven and let them roast while doing other kitchen tasks.  After beets are roasted they can be stored for up to a week in the fridge so its a great way to plan ahead for meal prep during the week.

Usually beets are a treat for when I go out to eat because this is not a vegetable choice of my husband.  However, I decided to invite my mom over for a girls lunch and created this roasted beet salad.  Luckily, my mom and I have similar tastes and I knew we would both enjoy this lite lunch.  Plus she never minds being my taste tester for new recipes!

What is the best way to cook beets?

The best way to retain the beets flavor and bring out it's natural sweetness is by roasting in the oven.   By wrapping the beets in foil it creates steam that helps them from drying out during the roasting process.  How long to roast beets will depend on the size of your beet.  The beets I used were about the size of my fist and took about 1 ½ hours to cook.

Don’t be tempted to try a quicker boiling method because this will completely water log them creating flavorless soggy beets.

How to roast beets?

The idea of cooking my own beets seemed a little intimating.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe because it was one of those vegetables that my family never cooked at home.  I decided it couldn't be more difficult than any of my other favorite veggies, so I had to give it a try.

To my surprise a roasted beet salad recipe was remarkably easy!  The key was just patients while the beets roasted.

First preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the leafy ends off of the beets.  Then, clean them thoroughly under running water before placing them on a piece of aluminum foil.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and wrap the beets to keep in moisture.  Place the foil wrapped beets on a baking sheet to catch any drips.  Remember that cooked beets tend to be a little messy.  They can definitely ruin clothes and towels so be careful during preparation!

How to peel roasted beets?

This is quite the debate, to peel your beets before or after roasting?  I was on the fence with this but after some suggestions from my mom, I decided to take the peels off after roasting.  Once the vegetable softens it makes the process much easier.  The peels will come off with just a gentle rub from your fingers.  However, be prepared for stained hands!  If you recently had a manicure you may want to wear gloves!

How to make roasted Beet Salad

While beets are cooling you can mix together citrus vinaigrette and prepare the salad.

Add all ingredients for citrus vinaigrette into a small mason jar or other bottle with secure lid and shake well.  Set vinaigrette aside.

Wash and chop kale and divide it into individual bowls or a large serving dish.  Add a few spoonfuls of vinaigrette to kale and toss to coat.  Add the remaining ingredients to salad.  I love the combination of roasted beet salad with goat cheese.  Once the beets are cool arrange on top of salad.

This salad looks beautiful when it’s served.  I just love the bright color of roasted beets!  I think you will love this salad and how great you feel after eating this simple yet delicious healthy meal.

Pin For Later!

If you try this recipe for Roasted Beet Salad, let me know what you think!  Leave a comment below, and snap a picture and tag it #bluesbestlife on Instagram!  I love seeing your creations, it makes my day!

Related Posts: