How pretty is this! I love this simple beet, orange and goat cheese salad, mostly for its gorgeous colours and how it brightens up the table. OK, it tastes pretty good too with it’s fresh orange vinaigrette dressing drizzled on the earthy beets, sweet oranges and tangy goat cheese. If you buy beets already roasted (my friend Judi said you can buy them vacuum-packed at Costco), the whole salad just takes 10 minutes to pull together. The beets are easy to make, though, but they do take an hour to roast.
I just couldn’t resist making this recipe when I came across a very similar one on a blog called Food & Style. I made a few tweaks with what I had on hand and voila. A new keeper in my collection.
Once again, you can adjust the recipe it to make to your tastes or to use what you have on hand. Change the sprouts, use red and golden beets, alter the oranges, change the nuts, add pomegranate seeds or use a different vinaigrette. It’s hard to go wrong with these colours I think.
You can make the salad ahead. Just add the dressing before serving.
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- Beets, oranges, pea sprouts
Beet, Orange and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe
Fresh, bright and pretty. This Beet, Orange and Goat Cheese Salad is easy to put together and looks beautiful on the table.
- Prep Time:1m
- Cook Time:10m
- Total Time:1h 10m
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium red beets (or 3 small)
- 2 oranges (cara cara, navel or valencia).
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- handful of pea sprouts, mache or watercress
- 1/4 cup toasted chopped almonds or any nuts
Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon white, champagne or rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 3 tablespoons oil oil
- 1/8 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- ROAST THE BEETS: Cut off the green stems of the beets. Scrub the beets under running water to remove dirt and sand. Oil the beets, then wrap tightly in tin foil. Place them on a foil-lined pan (in case they drip) and roast for about an hour or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool a bit. Over the sink, slide off the skins. Wash your hands right away to avoid stains from the beet juice. Cut into wedges or slices - whatever look you are going for.
- PREPARE THE ORANGES: Peel oranges and cut into sections in between the membranes. Alternatively, slice oranges into 1/8 inch rounds.
- MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and whisk well to blend.
- ASSEMBLE SALAD: Scatter oranges and beets on a serving platter. Crumble goat cheese and scatter around. Top with pea sprouts in an around the beets and oranges. Sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle on vinaigrette and serve. If making ahead, assemble the salad, set aside and drizzle vinaigrette right before serving.