This hearty beet salad recipe is packed with sweet and tangy flavors! Mixed greens, tender beets, orange slices, feta cheese tossed in a homemade balsamic dressing.
BEET SALAD RECIPE
If you love beats, then you need to give this fresh and bright beet salad recipe a try! Sweet, tender beets, juicy oranges, and Feta cheese mixed with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Not only is this salad easy to make, but it’s light and healthy! Make this salad for lunch or as a side dish for dinner.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Greens– The base for this light beet salad is greens! Either mixed greens, arugula, or just spinach will work.
- Beets– For the best results, you want to use either roasted, canned or pickled beets! For a less sugar option, you want to roast your own beets.
- Oranges– Adding fresh oranges gives this salad such a delicious fresh kick! You can use either fresh oranges, clementines, cuties or mandarins. You can also swap for canned mandarins.
- Feta Cheese– Fresh crumbled Feta cheese works great for this salad! You can also swap for your go-to goat cheese or leave out the cheese.
- Nuts– For a crunchy addition, add chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, or even cashews to this salad!
- Dressing– The homemade dressing is what brings this salad together! You can use my simple Balsamic vinaigrette dressing, or you can use store-bought balsamic dressing.
HOW TO MAKE BEET SALAD
Have this salad ready to enjoy in under 15 minutes, it’s so easy and fresh!
- Prepare the homemade Balsamic vinaigrette dressing in a container or salad dressing pourer.
- Add the mixed greens to your serving dish. Top with sliced beets, oranges, Feta cheese, and chopped nuts.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined.
- Serve immediately.
SALAD VARIATIONS
What I love about this beet salad is that it is totally customizable! Here are some beet salad variations that you need to try:
- Fresh Fruit– Swap or add along with the oranges different fruit like berries, pomegranates, apples, or pears!
- Grains– Make this simple salad heartier by adding cooked quinoa or chickpeas to it!
- Dried Fruit– For added flavors, add dried cranberries, raisins, or cherries.
- Protein– You can’t go wrong with adding protein to this salad! Add bacon bits, chopped prosciutto, grilled chicken thighs, blackened chicken, or shredded chicken.
- Dressing– Swap the balsamic vinaigrette for balsamic glaze, Greek salad dressing, honey mustard dressing, or Dijon Vinaigrette dressing.
HOW TO ROAST BEETS IN THE OVEN
Skip the processed canned beets and roast your own beets for this delicious salad!
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Wash and trim off the stems and roots of the beats.
- Wrap each beat in aluminum foil and add the foil covered beets to the baking sheet.
- Bake at 400°F for about 45-60 minutes, until the beets are fork tender.
- Remove the beets from the oven and cool. (You can unwrap them from the foil when they are warm or completely cool.)
- Slice and use the beets when cool. (You can roast the beets up to 2-3 days ahead of time and store them in the fridge.)
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
I highly recommend using canned or roasted beets for this salad. They are tender, but you can also use fresh beets for a crunch.
You can prepare the salad dressing 3-4 days ahead of time. You can also prepare the salad up to 12 hours ahead of time, just do not toss in dressing until ready to serve!
You can slice or chop the beets; it is based on preference! I like to use the pre-sliced pickled beets!
For the best results, you want to enjoy this salad fresh. The longer it sits the soggier the greens will get.
Yes, this salad is a healthier option, especially if you roast your own beets and make the homemade dressing!
Yes! If you don’t want to add oranges to this salad, you can just leave it with a simple beet and feta salad or add different fruits!
If you like your salads on the wetter side, make a double portion of the dressing and add more dressing until the salad is up to par!
OTHER SALAD RECIPES-
If you love salad, try these other great salad recipes:
Beet Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Beet Salad-
- 2 1/2 cups spring mix or arugula
- 1 cup roasted or canned beets sliced or cubed
- 1 cup fresh oranges sliced or cubed
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 3 Tbsp chopped walnuts
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing-
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 ½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 fresh garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- Start by preparing the balsamic dressing. In a bowl or jar, add the balsamic vinegar, oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Whisk until fully combined. (Skip this step if you are using store-bought dressing.)
- Take a large bowl or plate and add the fresh greens as your base. Top the greens with thinly
- Drizzle the prepared balsamic vinaigrette over the salad. Gently toss the salad to combine, making sure the dressing is well distributed.
- Finish by seasoning with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Serve the salad immediately.
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