My childhood memories of beets revolve around the salad bar at Piccadilly, the only restaurant my parents dared bring their three energetic children for an after church lunch. I remember the vibrant red, sliced beet salad glistening beneath the fluorescent lights beside the cold broccoli, carrot, and raisin salad cloaked in mayonnaise. My eyes quickly skipped over these unappetizing “adult salads” and went straight to the bright blue jello cubes, which ironically were also found in the cold salad bar.
It was years before I found the courage to try a beet and several more years before I enjoyed a beet. Eliminating all forms of canned or prepackaged beets had a large part in my newfound love for beets. My husband was the other reason I fell in love with beets. Since he grew up in Pittsburgh, he had a different relationship with beets than most southerners do. He knew what a beet looked like at a grocery store and the transformation that occurs when beets are roasted.
The first meal my husband made for me was roasted root vegetables with goat cheese. He peeled beets, parsnips, and carrots, which he cut into bite sized chunks before coating in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A few hours in the oven were an ingenious way for him to lure me into conversation. He can talk to anyone – meaning we never have an uncomfortably quiet uber ride. The vegetables finished roasting as we laughed and exchanged stories of our childhood swim teams. He topped the warm vegetables with crumbled goat cheese and reassured me that it would taste good, despite my hesitation at the thought of eating beets. I was beyond pleasantly surprised at the flavors, of which the beet was the star.
After we got to know each other better, he disclosed that he took a cooking class after college to meet girls. It worked. Almost fourteen years later, I still am in love with roasted beets, and my sweet husband.
Roasted Beet and Herbed Goat Cheese Salad
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 large salads 1x
Description
Eliminating all forms of canned or prepackaged beets had a large part in my newfound love for beets. My husband was the other reason I fell in love with beets.
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
- 3–4 pounds beets, peeled and cubed
- 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- Salt to taste
Salad Dressing
- 2 tsp Dijon or honey mustard
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 Tbs shallots, diced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Salad Assembly
- 5 ounces spinach
- 5 ounces mixed Greens
- Roasted Beets
- 4 ounces herbed goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup pecans
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First roast the beets: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cake sheet or lasagna pan with parchment paper or a silpat. Place beets in the pan and drizzle with vinegar and oil. Season with salt. Roast for about 30-45 minutes.
- Next, make the salad dressing: In a large bowl, whisk the mustard, maple syrup, vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, and shallots. Slowly whisk in the oil to combine.
- Finally, assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the spinach and mixed greens. Add the roasted beets, herbed goat cheese, and pecans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Salads
Keywords: roasted beets, salad, herbed goat cheese