Roasted Beet Salad Recipe (Two Simple Ways)
This roasted beet salad is one I return to again and again when I want something grounding, vibrant, and deeply satisfying. Roasting transforms beets from sharp and earthy to tender and lightly sweet. They form the base of the salad, which you can then take in two directions: a nutty tahini sauce with herbs and feta, or a creamy citrus dressing with avocado and goat cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
This recipe comes from my book, Mind, Body, Spirit, Food, which is filled with versatile dishes designed to invite more presence, intention, and connection into the kitchen. The salad begins with herb-scented roasted beets-tender, lightly sweet, and grounding-then offers a choice in how you take it from there.
Both versions start with the same roasted beets but branch into different flavor profiles. One leans savory and herb-forward, with a nutty tahini sauce and feta; the other is bright and creamy, with citrus, avocado, and goat cheese. You can roast the beets ahead of time, decide on the dressing later, and assemble when you're ready.
It's a salad built for flexibility: lovely as a side dish, or generous enough to pile over whole grains and turn into a meal.
If you like salads with crunch and contrast, you might also enjoy my broccoli crunch salad. For something more dinner-worthy with salty, crispy bites, try my fried halloumi salad.
Nicki's Tip: In my Mind, Body, Spirit, Food cookbook, each recipe includes an optional intention. For this salad, the intention is: I will feel grounded and rooted in who I am. Beets grow in the soil, and there is something steadying about cooking and eating them with care. This salad is a reminder that food can help bring us back into our bodies and into the present moment. ❤️
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Roasted beets: Fresh beets roast alongside garlic and herbs, which softens their flavor and adds depth. Red or golden beets both work. Golden beets are milder and less staining.
- Olive oil and vinegar: A small splash of acid after roasting wakes everything up and balances the beets' sweetness.
- Baby arugula: Peppery greens hold their structure against the beets and sauces.
- Mediterranean tahini sauce: Tahini, lemon, and garlic create a nutty, savory base. A touch of honey can soften bitterness, depending on the tahini brand.
- Creamy citrus dressing: Orange zest and juice bring brightness, while mayonnaise adds body so the dressing clings to the beets.
- Fresh herbs, cheese, and crunch: Mint, feta, goat cheese, avocado, and Coriander Fennel Maple Nuts add contrast and texture. Each element is optional, which makes the salad easy to adapt.
How to Make This Roasted Beet Salad
Step 1: Roast the beets. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the beets in a baking dish and add the garlic cloves and herb sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Cover tightly with foil and roast until the beets are tender all the way through when pierced with a knife. Let cool.
Step 2: Peel and season. Once cool enough to handle, peel and dice the beets. Transfer to a bowl, add the vinegar and remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss.
Step 3: Choose your version. Pick Mediterranean tahini or creamy citrus, then make the sauce or dressing.
Step 4: Assemble. Arrange the beets on a platter. Mound the arugula on top. Drizzle with sauce or dressing, then finish with the toppings for your chosen version.
Two Ways to Finish the Salad
Mediterranean Tahini
In a small bowl, combine the grated garlic and lemon juice. Let it sit briefly if you want to mellow the garlic. Add tahini and warm water, season with salt, and whisk until thick but pourable. Taste and add honey if your tahini tastes bitter. Assemble with arugula, drizzle with sauce, then top with feta, mint, and chopped nuts.
Creamy Citrus
In a small bowl, whisk orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Thin with a splash of water if needed. Assemble with arugula, add avocado slices, drizzle with dressing, then top with goat cheese, remaining zest, and chopped nuts.
Cooking Notes That Matter
- Let the beets cool before assembling. Warm beets can wilt greens and mute flavor.
- Roasting beets covered helps them cook evenly without drying out. Uncovering is not needed here.
- If your beets come with greens attached, sauté the chopped greens with olive oil and garlic and serve alongside the salad.
- Leftover tahini sauce keeps well and works beautifully on grain bowls, vegetables, or falafel.
- For a dairy-free option, skip the cheese and use vegan mayonnaise in the citrus version.
This avocado chicken salad is another great option to have in your back pocket. And if you're craving something seasonal and hearty, my roasted squash salad is another wonderful option.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Roast and dress the beets up to a week ahead. Store sauces separately and assemble just before serving.
After roasting. The skins slip off easily once the beets are cool.
Proper roasting, salt, and acid are key. Vinegar, citrus, and creamy elements balance the flavor.
Absolutely. They are milder and less staining but cook the same way.
If you make this recipe, I would love to hear which version you choose and how it fits into your table this season.
P.S. More Easy Salad Recipes:
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Roasted Beet Salad 2 Simple Ways
Ingredients
ROASTED BEETS
- 1½ pounds trimmed beets (about 8 medium or 6 large beets)
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- Small handful of fresh rosemary and/or thyme sprigs
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
MEDITERRANEAN TAHINI VERSION
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup warm water
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
- 2 handfuls of baby arugula
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint
- ½ cup Coriander Fennel Maple Nuts (recipe below) coarsely chopped
CREAMY CITRUS VERSION
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 handfuls of baby arugula
- ½ avocado, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
- ½ cup Coriander Fennel Maple Nuts (recipe below), coarsely chopped
Instructions
MAKE THE ROASTED BEETS
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place the beets in an 8-inch square (or similar size) baking dish and add the garlic cloves and herb sprigs. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the beets are tender all the way to their center when pierced with a sharp knife. Let cool.
- Once they're cool enough to handle, peel and dice the beets, then transfer them to a bowl. Add the sherry vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Do ahead. The roasted beets can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
CHOOSE YOUR VERSION AND FINISH
MEDITERRANEAN TAHINI
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the grated garlic and lemon juice. If you have the time, let the garlic sit in the juice for 5 minutes to mellow its flavor. Add the tahini and water, and season with salt. Whisk to combine, adding more water as needed or processing in a mini food processor if the tahini is too thick to whisk. The consistency should be rich and thick but pourable; it will continue to thicken as it sits. Give the sauce a taste; if it's a bit bitter for your taste (this will largely depend on the brand of tahini you use), stir in the honey.
- Arrange the beets on a platter and mound the arugula on top. Drizzle with the tahini sauce (you won't need it all, but you can serve the rest at the table). Sprinkle with the feta, if using, along with the mint and the chopped nuts. Serve.
CREAMY CITRUS
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the orange zest with the orange juice, white wine vinegar, grated garlic, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. If the dressing is too thick to drizzle, thin it with a small splash of water.
- Arrange the beets on a platter and mound the arugula on top. Arrange the avocado slices over the arugula and drizzle with the citrus dressing. Sprinkle with the goat cheese, if using, along with the remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest and the chopped nuts. Serve.
Notes
- The Coriander Fennel Maple Nuts (below) lend an unexpected herby-sweet crunch to the salad and can be made while the beets cook.
- If you have leftover tahini sauce, drizzle it over salads, grain bowls, and falafel, or use it as a dip for veggies. It will last for weeks.
- If your beets come with their leafy greens attached, you can slice them up, discarding the thick lower stems, and sauté them in olive oil with garlic.
- For a dairy-free salad, omit the cheese and use a vegan mayo in the citrus version.
- 2 cups raw pecans or walnuts
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- Kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the nuts on the prepared sheet pan and drizzle them with the maple syrup. Sprinkle generously with salt.
- Put the coriander and fennel seeds in a small skillet and place it over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Scatter the spices over the nuts.
- Using your hands, toss the nuts well to evenly coat them in the maple syrup and spices, then spread them in an even layer-they should be touching, but not overlapping too much. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring two or three times while they bake, until the nuts are two shades darker in color and smell delicious. The maple syrup should look sticky and caramelized, not wet.
- Sprinkle the warm nuts with more salt (be generous; this is all about the salty-sweet swoon factor) and then let them cool completely-they will harden as they cool.
- It's important to cook the nuts until they're a deep golden brown-the maple syrup should look tacky, not wet-and to let them dry completely. They will crisp up as they cool.
- Pecans and walnuts work best in this recipe, as their craggy surface collects the maple syrup.
