Beet Salad Recipe: How to Make Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Beet salad is an appetizer, side dish, or main course salad highlighting cooked beets in addition to leafy salad greens and a salad dressing. You can boil, microwave, roast, or steam beets, which are naturally gluten-free root vegetables with a thin skin and firm, starchy interior, similar to sweet potatoes. For beet salad, you can use red beets or golden beets in addition to the beet greens. Alternatively, use the beet greens to make a pesto sauce or sauté them in olive oil to create a side dish.

A salad with beets and goat cheese is a common combination. Popular mix-ins include candied pecans, shaved red onion, sunflower seeds, and feta cheese. To make beet salad as a main dish, consider adding sliced steak, chicken breast, salmon, or tofu.

Finish a beet salad with a tangy vinaigrette or creamy, herby dressing. Below are three salad dressing options that will complement a beetroot salad recipe:

1. 1. Green goddess dressing: Taking its color from chervil, chives, tarragon, and other fresh herbs, a green goddess dressing is tangy and garlicky and complements the earthy, slightly sweet flavor of beets.
2. 2. Ranch: A creamy dressing, ranch contains black pepper, buttermilk, and fresh or dried herbs. Add arugula or another peppery green to your beet salad if you want to enhance the black pepper flavor in the ranch dressing.
3. 3. Vinaigrette: A light vinaigrette allows the subtle beet flavors in the salad to shine. Start with an acid base—such as red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice—then mix in Dijon mustard, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. If you want your vinaigrette on the sweeter side, add maple syrup or orange juice before drizzling it over your beet salad.