Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
This classic roasted beet salad recipe is like my favorite French restaurant's beet salad! Featuring goat cheese, pistachios and arugula.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
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This roasted beet salad with greens is exactly what I’m craving right now. It’s hearty, fresh and spring-y, which is perfect as the weather turns from downright arctic to patio-worthy. Cookie and I couldn’t be more excited about the warmer temperatures and sunnier days! I bet you can relate.
This salad was inspired by the beet salads at my favorite local French restaurants, Westport Café and French Market. Over the past year, I’ve really missed sipping wine in their establishments and soaking up their vibes. You should know that I’m constantly daydreaming of a French vacation.
Both restaurants offer beet salads with pistachios and goat cheese, yet they each have their own unique spin on the combination. I always order the beet salad and French fries, naturally!
This recipe incorporates my go-to method for roasting beets, which yields amazing flavor. I used arugula as the base, which contrasts nicely with the earthy flavor of the beets.
Then I added goat cheese and pistachios, plus some radish and green onion for extra freshness and some crunch. The zippy, Dijon-forward vinaigrette brings it all together. Serve this salad as a side dish or enjoy a large portion for a satisfying but light dinner.
Roasted Beet Salad Preparation Tips
A few quick tips before you get started:
- You can roast the beets and prepare the dressing in advance, if desired. Both will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days before using.
- Assembly is simple. Just chop a few ingredients, crumble the goat cheese, and arrange the ingredients in a large serving bowl or platter.
- If you plan on having leftovers, dress individual servings as needed. If you pour in all of the dressing at once, the arugula will wilt and won’t keep as well.
- You may have some extra dressing. Use it on any improvised green salad or toss it with leftover roasted vegetables.
Salad Substitution Options
These flavors might not be for everyone. Some suggestions:
- If you don’t love arugula, substitute more mild spring greens.
- If you can’t find shelled pistachios, pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) are a suitable and affordable option. I recommend toasting them before using to bring out their best flavor. You’ll find toasting instructions in the recipe notes.
- If you have any hesitation about the radish or green onion, I dare you to try it as written! They’re really nice, though technically you can omit either of them.
Watch How to Make Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
More Hearty Green Salads to Try
- Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
- Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
- Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
- Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing
- Lemony Roasted Broccoli, Arugula & Lentil Salad
Please let me know how your salad turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
This classic roasted beet salad recipe is like my favorite French restaurants’ beet salads! This salad features goat cheese, pistachios and arugula with a zippy Dijon dressing. Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 ½ pounds beets (about 3 large or 5 small-to-medium)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, to taste
- 5 ounces (5 heaping cups) arugula
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- ⅓ cup shelled toasted and salted pistachios, chopped, or ½ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), toasted*
- 4 medium radishes, thinly sliced and roughly chopped (about ½ cup)
- ⅓ cup chopped green onion
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To roast the beets: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Scrub the beets well with a vegetable brush under running water (no need to peel them at any point).
- Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice off the base of each beet to create a flat surface, and slice off the skinny pointy ends as well. Place each beet with its flat side against the cutting board and slice the beets in half, then slice the beets into wedges of even thickness, about ½ to ¾-inch thick on the widest edge.
- Place the beet wedges on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the beets with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. Toss until the beets are evenly coated, then arrange them in a single layer across the pan.
- Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway, until you’re able to pierce through the beets with a fork with light pressure.
- Meanwhile, prep the remaining ingredients and whisk together the dressing: In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and salt. Season generously with black pepper and whisk until fully blended. Taste, and add more pepper to make it nicely peppery. Set aside.
- To assemble the salad, place the arugula in a large serving bowl or platter. Scatter the roasted beets on top, followed by the crumbled goat cheese, chopped pistachios, radishes and green onion.
- When you’re ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad (you might not need all of it) and gently toss to coat. If you’re planning for leftovers, dress individual servings as needed instead, and store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the goat cheese. Diced ripe avocado might be nice instead. To make the dressing vegan, substitute maple syrup for the honey.
*Make it nut free: Substitute pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) for the pistachios. For best flavor, toast them first—warm them in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they are starting to make popping noises and turning golden at the edges.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Delicious and beautiful! I split this into 2 large servings and served one last night and the other tonight. Tonight I served the goat cheese on the side and 3 out of 4 kids ate it.
Sounds like a great idea, Dodi! I appreciate your review.
This looks wonderful. Can’t wait to try it. Do you think the fat grams in the nutritional info is correct. Seems high? Any way to make it less?
Shout out for your cookbook! It is fantastic!
Hi Mary, please see my Nutrition Disclaimer.
What do you think about doubling the dressing and adding quinoa or farro?
Sure, let me know what you think!
Yet another favourite from Kate! So simple and delicious. I was unable to get organic radishes, so I’ve substituted faith English cucumber. We loved it! Thanks Kate! (BTW, I use Hemp oil instead; so rich and healthy)
I’m glad you enjoyed it and were able to make some adjustments!
Hi Kate,
This is another great recipe! I my husband doesn’t like goat cheese, and I don’t particularly care for beets! I did have some beets from my CSA and needed to use them so I search your web site and made this recipe. We both really like it!
Thanks again for being such a great source!
Mary Ellen
I’m excited this recipe won you over! Thank you for sharing, Mary.
This salad was easy to make and just delicious. I brought it to a dinner meeting and everyone went back for seconds. So good!!
That’s great to hear, Meredith! Thank you for your review.
Love it!!! New favorite with entire family! Thanks so much.
I’m happy to hear that, Bon! Thank you for your comment.
5 stars doesn’t cover it! This was so delicious! Brought it to a family get together and everyone loved it!
Thank you, Kaitlin! I’m glad you loved it.
Delicious, have made it twice now. I used 1/2 red beets and 1/2 golden yellow beets. So divine. I love the “zippy” Dijon dressing too!
Thank you, Carolyn! I’m glad you loved it.
We made this for dinner tonight and it was outstanding! The flavors were incredible and it was so filling! We included the radishes and green onions, and I’m
So glad we did!!
I’m glad you made it, Lisa! Thank you for sharing how you made it.
Just made this lovely salad today. Extremely flavourful and will do again and again with the benefit of so many beets! The only amendment that I made was to swap out pistachios for walnuts. Delish! Thank you!
This salad is life changing. It’s so delicious. I’ve been telling everyone about it and making it constantly. I LOVE IT. Ten stars!!
I love to hear that, Tiffany! Thank you for taking the time to review.
This is a really excellent salad and dressing. A definite keeper. I’ve already made it 3 times in two weeks!
That’s great to hear, Mark!
this took some time to make, partially because i made my own vegan “goat” cheese, but i really enjoyed it! i also added some homemade garlic croutons just to add to the party of contrasting flavors. every bite tastes a little different :)
Ummm…yah! This is what dreams are made of…
I’m glad you loved it!
I plan to make this for Thanksgiving. How far in advance can I roast the beets and prepare the dressing?
Hi! Sorry for my delay. What did you end up doing?
I roasted them the Tuesday before. The salad was a hug hit, none leftSo delicious. I kept the goat cheese on the side because I had a vegan guest and several other guests appreciated that as well!I hope you had a wonderful holiday.
I am on a sodium-free diet and use “No Salt” (KCl instead of NaCl) as a substitute. I haven’t tried cooking with it as yet. Should the beets be salted before or after roasting?
Hi, you can omit the salt here if you need to.
I added pickled red onions, and I loved the extra tang!
hank you for your review, Andrea!
We made this and your butternut squash soup tonight and they made a great dinner on a cool, rainy evening. We made the substitutions you suggested with pepitas rather than pistachios and diced avocado rather than goat cheese. It was delicious! Thanks for another winner!
You’re welcome, Kimberlyn!
This is an absolutely delicious salad! I have made it several times, at different times of year. I love the combo of the roasted beets, arugula, cheese (I sometimes use feta) and toasted pepitas. And the dressing is perfectly balanced. This one is a winner!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Angela! I appreciate your feedback and review.
Dear Kate,
This recipe, like so many others from your blog and book, has become a staple in our household. I’ve been following you for years and make at least one of your recipes every week. Thank you for showing us so many new and delicious ways to eat vegetables and whole grains. You really have changed our diet for the better, so I thought it was about time to leave a comment and express our appreciation!
Thank you and all best wishes!
I’m delighted you hear my recipes are a staple in your home. I appreciate all your support, Val!
I am new to your site. Everything looks so yummy and the comments you receive are so kind. I can’t wait to try your recipes. My question is about beets. I’m trying to eat healthy foods. Beets are new to me. This recipe looks intriguing. My mom has a recipe for marinated beets. Are those good for you? Do you have a recipe for marinated beets? Thanks for your help.
Hi! This is my recipe for beets. Although, marinated sound interesting!
This salad is absolute perfection. Making it again tomorrow. Great recipes.
Unbelievable salad! Wowed my guests! Thank you. :)
I’m glad you loved it, Krysia! I appreciate your review.
I made this salad today and it was a huge hit !! So delicious!!! I made it as written but added some grated carrot.
The dressing was delicious. I used a hard vanilla goat cheese from Trader Joe’s and it paired really well.
I made this salad for dinner yesterday! Minus the radishes (only because I couldn’t find a fresh bunch at the grocery store), I subbed in cherry tomatoes (which I had) and made the rest as-is. It was very light and refreshing and the sweetness of the beets complemented very well with the tartness of the goat cheese. The crush of the pistachios and the sharpness of the Dijon vinaigrette made for a perfect bite. I had made it as a side salad to go with rest the dinner, but everyone wished I had made more. It was delicious Kate! Thank you for sharing your delightful salad recipes. You’ve inspired me to mix and match.
Thank you for sharing how you got creative with this recipe!
This was a great recipe, I left out the radish, but added dried cranberries and served it with fresh made baltimore crab cakes YUMM
This is my go-to wow’em recipe!! I usually make it as written & it’s terrific!! Thank you ;)
I love to hear that, Sara! Thank you for your review.
Oh wow, this salad is like a dream.
Delicious! Forgot the radishes but it was devoured at the meal regardless!
The combo is so fantastic. Yet so easy to make. Nutritious and very tasty. The dressing pulled it all together.
Thank you.
Joe
You’re welcome, Joe!
Am I correct in assuming you eat the the beets with the peel?
Yes! It becomes tender after roasting.
When in a pinch, I’d like to use canned beets. How can I roast them lightly or otherwise make them more delectable?
Thanks!
I’m not sure, you can try roasting them. That could be interesting!
Do you provide the recipe nutritional details, calories, protein, carbs etc?
All the nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. I hope you can enjoy this recipe!
This was absolutely delish! Thank you for another great recipe
You’re welcome, Lauren!
oh! c’est toujours ma salade préférée et sa vinaigrette que je double pour la mettre sur sa salade de brocoli.
It is always my pref! i double the dressing so I can use it on your brocoli salad
mercixx
Excited to try this for supper! It sounds like a restaurant salad I’ve had before and loved. My hubby doesn’t like beets so I’ll be roasting carrots in their place. My pistachios are stale so in the effort of using what I have I will be having sliced almonds. I do think pecans would have also been lovely, but alas I am out. I love your recipes and your cookbook is the most well loved cook book in my collection! Thanks for this lovely salad idea
You’re welcome, Laura! Thank you for your review.
Hello, Kate.
Hopefully you will get this email!
I made this recipe tonight and my husband and I each enjoyed our big salads-in-bowls for our dinner. It was wonderful! We enjoyed every scrumptious bite. I was surprised at the blend of flavours and crunchiness, which shows you to be a true expert. I have a couple of questions or comments:
1. I am wondering why you say not to peel the beets? I can see that you might get away with that in the late summer when beets or early are seasonal and fresh, but wouldn’t the skin cause the roasted beets to be a little tough? Not being sure, I did hand peel my beets before I cut them into the small wedges you described and roasted them. They were delicious!
2. I am also wondering why in all of your recipes involving roasting vegetables you instruct us to spread the vegetables out on the prepared pan, and then toss them in olive oil and S&P? Why not toss them in a bowl first and then put them on the prepared pan? Seems a lot easier and less messy… just a thought. Always works for me.
I love your recipes, Kate! (And Cookie, bless her little doggie soul!) and I have subscribed to several different vegetarian recipe blogs. Yours is the most creative and reliable. You do not, for instance, advise using frozen packaged recipes and chickpeas or beans in almost every recipe! (Choke!)
Sincerely,
Carllie Henigan
Vancouver, Canada
Hi Carllie, For the beets, I don’t find the skin to be tough once roasted. If you want to peel, feel free. I prefer to toss on the baking sheet and find I have the best results, but again if you have another preference feel free. I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes!
This is an amazing salad I now make it all the time. Thank you for sharing- I switch out the pistachios for sliced almonds.
This is a great recipe, as are all your recipes! The roasted beets were outstanding!
I’m glad you loved it, Tara!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a total hit. This recipe is a 10.
I have NEVER before reviewed a recipe! I LOVE beet salad and order it every time that it’s on a menu. I am happy to say that I don’t ever need to order it again. I made this tonight,almost exactly as written. I subbed Romaine because that’s what I had, left out the onions because I didn’t have them, and blended the dressing with my immersion blender. RUN, don’t walk, and make this salad. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s lunch to have leftovers!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Lisa.
I’m currently 6 months pregnant and have been having strong cravings for beets. This salad hit the spot and was exactly what I wanted! Perfect for summer. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Laura!
Soooooooooooooo good!!! I will make this again and again! Delicious!
Great to hear, Sarah! I appreciate your review.