Salads do not have to be boring, and they do not have to be unhealthy to be delicious! As a salad lover, I am always looking for new and fun combinations that turn a normal bowl of leaves into something special. This recipe plays off the classic pairing of beets and goats cheese to make a fresh and filling dish that is popping with flavour.
I've included the steps to cook your beets from scratch in the recipe below, but you can easily buy prepared beets and save yourself some time. You can also swap in pre-marinated beets if you have them on hand (which I typically do). Check out my recipe for white wine marinated beets, they can last months in your fridge if stored properly.
I always like to pour myself a crisp white wine, such as a Chablis or Pinot Grigio, when I sit down to eat this salad. Makes me feel nice and high-brow (regardless of the fact that I'm likely to be wearing sweats and a tee at this same point in time...). What are your favourite salad combos?
Roasted Beet, Chicken and Goats Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- SALAD
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- 6 cups spinach
- 2/3 c. sliced red onion
- 2 large beets
- 1 cup walnuts
- --
- GOATS CHEESE
- 8oz goats cheese
- 1 tbl heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp diced fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme or sage)
- ---
- DRESSING
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp vinegar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Balsamic glaze for drizzle
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 F
- Step 2 Trim roots and leaves off of the beets, wrap in aluminum foil, place on a tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
- Step 3 While the beets are cooking, make the whipped goat cheese by blending the goats cheese, cream, salt and herbs with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Step 4 Once the beets are out of the oven and have cooled down, use a paper towel to rub off their skin. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and set aside.
- Step 5 Lightly toast walnuts over medium heat, about 3-4 minutes.
- Step 6 Make your salad dressing by combine all ingredients in a bowl (olive oil, vinegar, lemon, salt, pepper, basil). An easy way to do this is to place all ingredients into a jar with a tight seal and shake.
- Step 7 Assemble salad: Divide lettuce equally between 4 plates. Lie beet slices on top of lettuce and sprinkle with red onion slices. Spoon your whipped goats cheese on top, followed by the toasted walnuts. Finish off with a drizzle of both your homemade dressing & balsamic glaze and top with a twist of freshly ground pepper.
