Roasted Beet Salad Recipe with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette
This roasted beet salad recipe combines the natural sweetness of beets with a garlicky vinaigrette and a kick of jalapeno. The addition of creamy goat cheese rounds out the dish.
Beets Taste Good!
When I owned beachgreens produce home delivery service, I discovered that many people had a negative memory of vegetables from their childhood, and beets were often the shining star of these memories. I received many an email over the years, reminiscing about terrible canned or boiled-to-death beets that they were forced to eat as a child. When I would include beet recipes in the weekly recipe newsletters, it was often these simple light beet recipes that were a game changer for people’s impressions of beets, and their impression of cooking and eating vegetables overall. “If these beets are delicious, I bet these other veggies could be too!”
Making a Beet Salad Recipe
On another note, I am a stickler for efficiency, both in and out of the kitchen. If I can combine two tasks in one, I am all over it. I tackle beets in one of two ways. Either 1) Cook the beets as soon as I bring them home from the market, otherwise they have a tendency to languish in the fridge as a task that I do not get to or, 2) Cook beets for the next day, during dinner. For example, while preparing Monday night’s dinner, I’ll take a few minutes and clean the beets and prepare them for Tuesday night’s dinner, including roasting. As part of cleaning up from dinner, I will peel beets and complete step 1 of this recipe. This roasted beet salad recipe with garlic-cumin vinaigrette always tastes better the next day, after marinating overnight in the fridge.
Easy Healthy Dinners
Serve this beet salad recipe with Turkish-style braised leeks or chickpea-herb pita pizzas.
Roasted Beet Salad with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound golden beets, (about 3 medium-sized, red beets would work too)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette
- 1 jalapeno
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest (from one large orange)
- 3 Tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon honey (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, 5 grinds
- 5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
To Garnish
- 2 Tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
- 4 sprigs mint
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- If the beets have greens attached, remove and save for another use, such as the Green Power Frittata recipe. Cut beets in half. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and surround with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan in a shallow layer. Cover tightly with foil, and cook in oven until the skins remove easily from the beets, 45 minutes-1 hour. Let cool, and remove the skin. Cut into ½” slices. Place in a shallow bowl, and while still slightly warm, sprinkle with vinegar and salt.
- Remove veins and seeds from jalapeno (unless you like things spicy!), and cut into chunks.
- In a food processor or blender, combine jalapeno, garlic, cumin seeds, orange zest, orange juice, honey, and salt. Process into a paste. With the motor running, add olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. You want the flavor the to be strong, as it will mellow out when added to beets.
- If serving immediately, pour vinaigrette over cooked sliced beets. Otherwise, hold off until just before serving to use vinaigrette.
- To serve, layer beets on a platter in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle with goat cheese and chopped mint leaves.
This recipe is amazing. Awesome blend of flavors, keeps well so can be prepped in advance. I have already made it a few times for my family and friends and it is always a big hit. I like just keeping it on hand for a healthy snack for myself!
Spreading the golden beet love Kaye, I love it! Thank you for your comment.