This roasted Beet Salad with arugula and balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect salad for Fall or Winter. It is the perfect blend of fresh arugula with sweet roasted beets, crunchy pecans, and creamy cheese. (P.S. You can use goat cheese or feta!) You’ll want the balsamic vinaigrette on all of your Autumn salads!
If you like robust salads, this roasted red Beet Salad is going to be a Fall favorite for you- it’s loaded with healthy and flavorful ingredients. This is our go-to balsamic vinaigrette – it’s drizzled over our Autumn Chopped Salad and Cobb Salad, which are reader favorites.
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Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
My friend Nataliya shared the idea for this beet salad with arugula with me and it was an instant hit! It tastes fancy but wait until you see how EASY it is to make. This show-stopping salad really is the best beet salad recipe!
We brought this to my sister’s house for dinner and it disappeared quickly with rave reviews from everyone. The balsamic vinaigrette will totally win you over. You will love that this salad is:
- Easy to make – especially if you make Instant Pot Beets and even cook them ahead.
- Colorful– the gorgeous Fall color palette adds festive beauty to your table
- Customizableable– you’re in control of what goes into your salad to meet your taste and dietary needs
- Good for you – Packed with essential nutrients
Ingredients for Beet Salad
Everything about this beet salad is good – rich in flavor and super healthy thanks to the fresh ingredients.
- Beets – the stars of this salad, you will need 6 medium red or golden beets or a combination of the two
- Baby arugula – rinsed and spun dry
- Feta cheese (or Goat Cheese)- use crumbled cheese or dice up a block yourself
- Pecans – toasted
- Dried cranberries – add a sweet and tangy layer of flavor
Ingredients for Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Extra virgin olive oil – a flavorful base for your dressing
- Balsamic vinegar – its well-rounded sweet flavor pairs perfectly with leafy salad greens
- Dijon mustard – we use Grey Poupon brand
- Garlic – 1 clove, pressed or finely minced
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Variations and Substitutions
This salad is totally customizable to your taste. I love the bright colors of the red beets, but you can add gold beets or sliced apple, add red onion or shallots, or even use different lettuce varieties. You can also change up the cheese and nuts.
Cheese Options:
- Goat cheese (our recent favorite!)
- Gorgonzola cheese
- Grated parmesan
Nut Option:
- Walnuts
- Toasted pine nuts
- Almond slivers
- Candied pecans
- Pistachios
Greens Options:
- Mixed greens
- Baby spinach
- Red leaf lettuce
How to Cook Beets
Wash and trim the beets so that the stems are about ½-inch long and the roots are no more than about 2 inches long.
- Instant Pot Method: Cooking beets in your Instant Pot is the quickest and easiest way to cook tender beets. If you have one, follow the steps on my Instant Pot Beets tutorial.
- Oven-Roasted Beets: If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, don’t fret. Preheat your oven to 400°F. and line the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Tightly wrap each beet in aluminum foil to seal and arrange the beets on the baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or until the largest beet is easily pierced. Unwrap the beets.
Pro Tip:
You can pre-cook beets up to 3 days in advance, cover, and refrigerate them until ready to use.
How to Make Beet Salad
- Cool and Prepare Beets – No matter how you cook the beets, allow them to cool to room temperature, and then trim the roots and peel the skins- they should peel right off, super easy. Slice them into wedges.
- Toast Pecans – In a dry skillet, toss frequently until golden and fragrant.
- Combine Ingredients – Rinse and dry your arugula and transfer to a large salad bowl. Add the sliced beets, and sprinkle the feta cheese, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries on top.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette – Make and drizzle over the top just before serving. Toss to combine.
Pro Tip:
Be sure to wear gloves when working with beets. The juices are bright red and stain everything, including your hands. Now you can make all of your favorite beet recipes (including Borscht) without staining your hands.
How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
- In a mason jar, combine extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic clove, salt, and pepper.
- Seal with the lid and shake well to combine. I use about 3/4 of this recipe for this salad. Leftover dressing to use on your next salad is never a bad thing.
Salad Serving Tip:
To ensure the salad doesn’t get soggy or wilted, drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over your salad just before serving. You can toss to combine or serve without tossing, just be sure to evenly drizzle and set a pair of tongs next to the salad along with the the extra dressing. The salad is prettier if it’s not tossed.
Common Questions
Make-Ahead
- Assemble ahead – With the exception of adding the dressing, you can fully assemble this salad ahead of time. Just save the jarred dressing on the side until just before serving so your greens do not get soggy. This also makes it easy to store leftover salad and dressing.
- Pre-cook beets – You can roast the beets up to 3 days ahead of time. Allow them to cool before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Store any leftovers in a container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
What to Serve With Beet Salad
This stunning salad is hearty and satisfying enough to be a meal on its own, or it makes the perfect side dish. Pair it with:
The arugula’s peppery taste provides a fresh contrast to the sweetness of the beets. Tossed in the best balsamic vinaigrette, this salad is not only delicious, but it hits so many textures with the crunch of the toasted pecans and the creaminess of the cheese. This Roasted Beet Salad shows up at every holiday buffet in our family and it always disappears fast.
More Fall Salad Recipes
If you love this Beet Salad recipe, then you won’t want to miss these amazing Fall salad recipes.
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Winter Fruit Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Kale Salad
Beet Salad with Arugula and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Beet Salad with Arugula Ingredients:
- 6 medium, 2 lbs beets
- 5 oz 6 cups baby arugula, rinsed and spun dry
- 4 oz or 1/2 cup feta cheese, diced or crumbled
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard, we love Grey Poupon brand
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
How to Make Beet Salad with Arugula:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line the bottom of a medium-rimmed baking sheet with foil. Wrap each beet tightly in a sheet of foil and arrange a lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until the largest beet is easily pierced. Unwrap beets and cool to room temperature then peel the skins and slice into halves and then wedges.
- Toast 1/2 cup pecans on a dry skillet, tossing frequently until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Transfer the arugula to a large mixing bowl then add the remaining salad ingredients: sliced beets, feta cheese, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries.
How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- In a small mason jar, combine all dressing ingredients and shake well to combine. Drizzle over salad to taste. If not serving salad right away, shake the dressing again just before drizzling over the salad.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I just made this salad and it’s scrumptious and beautiful!! I’m happily cooking with my best friend and we are enjoying this refreshing salad, thanks very much.
Love it! I am very popular at any gathering when I bring this salad. It’s become my signature dish. I add some maple syrup to the vinaigrette. I don’t roast the beets. I add some peeled raw beets to jarred pickled beets. Good crunch. 😋
You know its good when you get so many compliments on it! I’m so happy you love this recipe, Jude.
Fabulous! Costco BJs grocery stores now sell organic vac packed cooked beets. Great shortcut. Being Ukrainian, all in the family love borscht, so this is a natural new favorite! It has been a big hit rerun since 1st tried in Thanksgiving!👍 Thanks!
So delicious! I made it with romaine salad because I don’t like arugula and it was very good. Even my boyfriend liked it and he doesn’t usually like beets.
I’m happy to hear it was enjoyed, Emilie!
Delicious! On making it the second time, I halved the olive oil so the dressing had more of a punch. To be fair, I don’t usually put too much dressing on my salads. I also roast the beets with olive oil, salt, and pepper so they’re more flavorful.
One of my favorite salads. I made this 3 night this week, my husband loved it!
I am using the beet salad for approximately the 5 + time. Nutricious!
Use your recipes often because
whatever the receipts,it always turns out.
Thank you, Linda! It makes me happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes.
Can I use pickled beets for this recipe or do they have to be the REAL cooked beets ?
Thank you
Hi Sandi! Sure, you could use them if you prefer. You may adjust the vinegar in the dressing so your salad is not too sour if needed.
Hi Natasha, I would like to thank you for all your amazing recipes over the years. I found this beet salad last year and my family just loves it so I’ve tried to make it for all our gatherings. I’m making my dressing ahead for Thanksgiving and I never can remember if I can let the dressing out or it has to be refrigerated. I’m using a balsamic it’s a prickly pear And I was wondering if it’s OK to sit out on the counter or do I refrigerate having an amazing Thanksgiving with your family and thanks so much
You’re so welcome! You can pre-cook beets up to 3 days in advance, cover, and refrigerate them until ready to use. It’s also a good idea to refrigerate the dressing if you will make it a day ahead.
Love all your recipes. Great tutorials and recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Just can’t figure out why I make more of a mess than you do but the recipes are nummy.
Hi Lucy! Glad you’re loving the recipes. Thank you.
I am assuming that it is red balsamic and not white balsamic called for in this recipe?
Hi Jean! You can use either of the two dependin on your preference.
This salad looks delicious! I have simple boiled beets leftover from Thanksgiving dinner. Can I use them in this recipe instead of the roasted beets or is there a way to get a ‘roasted’ taste from the beets I already have?
Hi Donna, absolutely! Boiled beets or even Instant Pot Beets work great here – any way you want to cook them is fine.
I also used Trader Joes beets. So good. Next time I will use goat cheese thought feta was salty.
I replaced cranberries and pecans with raisins and walnuts. Wonderful taste!