This beet salad is absolutely flavorful and looks so beautiful despite how simple it is to throw together. This salad is quite versatile as you can enjoy it as a side dish or as a light main meal. It’s an easy salad to make last minute since there isn’t a lot of active cooking time, making it perfect for when you’re not in the mood to do a ton of cooking but still want a nutritious meal. Got an abundance of beets? Try making my Beet Chips as well!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Beets — Sweet and earthy, beets are a type of root vegetable that are full of nutrients. I recommend getting beets that are similar in size, so they cook evenly.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing — You can use store-bought salad dressing or make my homemade version! This simple balsamic vinaigrette really brings the salad together without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the beets.
How to Make Beet Salad
Step 1: With a vegetable peeler, peel the beets.
Step 2: Cut the peeled beets in half.
Step 3: Boil them in a large pot of water for approximately 20-30 minutes or until tender. Let cool before slicing them.
Step 4: To a large bowl, add the cooked beets, greens, walnuts, and feta cheese.
Step 5: Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette.
Step 6: Toss to coat the salad with the dressing before serving.
Tips For This Recipe
- I like to wear cooking gloves when handling beets to avoid staining my hands when preparing them.
- If you’re worried about the beets staining your cutting board, you can spray a light coat of nonstick cooking spray before chopping. The stains will wipe right off.
- If you want to save some time and skip having to work around beets staining your kitchen, you can always opt for pre-cooked beets or canned sliced beets.
- Feel free to change the mixed greens for any greens of your choice, such as spinach or arugula, or with whatever you have in your fridge.
- While I slice my beets into half-moon shapes, you can dice them into cubes or cut them into matchsticks or wedges instead.
- Cashews, pecans, and almonds are great alternatives if you don’t have walnuts available.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any type of beets for this salad! There are red beets, golden beets, Chioggia beets (they are striped like candy canes!), and baby beets. I like using a combination of red and golden beets to add an extra pop of color to my salad. The cook time is the same for all of them, except for baby beets which take less time due to their size.
While this salad uses feta, you can also try goat cheese, queso fresco, Cotija, or any type of salty, crumbly cheese. If you’re not a fan of cheese, you can simply skip it.
If you’d like to prepare this beet salad ahead of time, you can cook the beets 2 to 3 days ahead of time and store them in the fridge. The salad dressing can also be made for up to a week ahead of time as well. Then when ready to enjoy, simply toss everything together and serve.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Beet Salad Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 2 beets
- 4 cups mixed greens
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing to taste
Instructions
- Prepare beets by peeling the beets and cutting them in half to relatively the same size. Boil them in a large pot of water for approximately 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain well and let cool.
- Assemble salad by tossing all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making sure the dressing is evenly coated throughout.
Video
Notes
- I like to wear cooking gloves when handling beets to avoid staining my hands when preparing the beets.
- If you’re worried about the beets staining your cutting board, you can spray a light coat of nonstick cooking spray before chopping. The stains will wipe right off.
- If you don’t want to save some time and skip having to work around beets staining your kitchen, you can always opt for pre-cooked beets or canned sliced beets.
- Feel free to change the mixed greens for any greens of your choice, such as spinach or arugula, or with whatever you have in your fridge.
- While I slice my beets into half-moon shapes, you can dice them into cubes or cut them into matchsticks or wedges instead.
- Cashews, pecans, and almonds are great alternatives if you don’t have walnuts available.
Leave a Reply