Simple Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Simple Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is a healthy and delicious addition to your dinner menu! Use any kind of beets you like: boiled, steamed, or roasted.  Top the salad with toasted pine nuts.

Beet salad with goat cheese is a perfect salad to serve with any main course.   The earthy flavor of beets is balanced by the creaminess of goat cheese and the crunchiness of toasted pine nuts.

Whether you’re making salmon with asparagus or lamb chops with mustard sauce, a simple beet salad is always an elegant choice.  It’s healthy and gluten-free!

Fresh baby spinach and beets are tossed with the simple dressing made with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and coarsely ground black pepper.  For crunch, add toasted pine nuts and for creaminess, add crumbled goat cheese.  You can use all kinds of beets in this salad: boiled, steamed, or roasted.  My favorite (and the easiest and the least messy) way to cook beets is to boil them.  Below I provide detailed instructions on how to boil beets.

Simple beet salad

• Basic ingredients.  The salad has only 4 ingredients: beets, spinach, goat cheese, and pine nuts.  Simple homemade salad dressing requires only 2 ingredients (olive oil and lemon juice) plus salt and pepper.
• Flexibility. This is a versatile recipe with lots of variations.  You can use either spinach or arugula.  You can also use a variety of cheeses and different kinds of nuts.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• What is a good substitute for spinach?  Arugula has a mustard-like yet soft flavor and is a great substitute for spinach.
• What can you replace pine nuts with?  Use toasted slivered almonds or sliced almonds instead of pine nuts.  You can also use toasted pumpkin seeds.
• What cheese can you use instead of goat cheese?  Ricotta cheese or feta cheese are both good substitutes for goat cheese.
• What other toppings can you use?  To dress up the simple beet salad, add dried fruit, such as dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins.   You can also add diced veggies, such as avocado or cherry tomatoes.  Or, add crumbled bacon.
• Salad dressing.  Use a simple dressing made with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Or, use any store-bought salad dressing of your choice.

How to boil beets

There are many ways to cook beets.  You can roast them in the oven or steam them.  Or, you can simply boil them.   The best and the least messy way to cook beets is to boil them.  It’s my favorite method and the easiest way I know.   Below I provide detailed instructions on how to boil beets.

1. Place beets in a large saucepan with water.
2. Bring to boil. Once the water starts boiling, boil the beets for 20 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and allow the beets rest in the saucepan with hot water, with the lid on, for another 20 minutes.
4. Carefully pour the hot water out.
5. After the beets have cooled off, you can use a butter knife to easily peel the skin off them.

HOW TO TOAST PINE NUTS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Spread the pine nuts in one layer over the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
3. Roast for 5 minutes.
4. Note: pine nuts get burned really quickly.  Watch them closely and remove promptly from the oven.

Best goat cheese to use in salads

• Use fresh goat cheese.  Fresh goat cheese is soft, without a rind.   Fresh goat cheese is usually sold in logs at the store.
• How to crumble goat cheese?  Sometimes, using your hands to crumble a goat cheese does not work well, because the cheese is so soft.  I find it easier to use a fork and scoop out just as much cheese as I need onto a small plate.  Then, I crumble it with a fork on a plate.

SIMPLE SALAD DRESSING

• You only need 4 ingredients: olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and coarsely ground black pepper.
• Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until emulsified.

HOW TO MAKE BEET SALAD

1. First, combine baby spinach leaves and sliced beets in a large bowl.
2. Add your favorite salad dressing and toss to combine.
3. Next, top the salad with toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese.
4. Finally, sprinkle coarsely ground black pepper over the salad.

Other Salad Recipes

If you enjoyed this simple beet salad, you might also like these easy and healthy recipes:

• Simple Spinach Salad
• Tomato Basil Avocado Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Dressing
• Healthy Chickpea Salad with Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber
• Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil Pesto

Main Course Ideas

Below are some main dishes that will go great with a simple beet salad with goat cheese:

• Creamy Tuscan Salmon
• Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes
• Baked Italian Chicken and Vegetables

Simple Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Simple Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is healthy and delicious!  Easy homemade salad dressing is made with lemon juice and olive oil.  Great recipe to use boiled beets, roasted beets, or marinated beets.

Salad Dressing

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Beet Salad

• 6 oz baby spinach (fresh)
• 2 beets (, cooked, diced)
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (toasted)
• 1/3 cup goat cheese (crumbled)

Salad Dressing

1. Add dressing ingredients to a medium size bowl.  Whisk to combine.

Beet Salad

1. Add baby spinach and diced cooked beets to a large bowl.

2. Add the salad dressing and toss to combine.

3. Top with toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese.   Season with extra black pepper if desired.

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