Roasted golden beet salad

This roasted golden beet salad is a simple combination of beets, greens, a little goat cheese and dressing. But they work so well together to make a tasty side or light lunch that you can also easily adapt, too.

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Despite beets never being in our house when I was a child, I have become a big beet fan as an adult. They have made their way in to many recipes here, both savory and sweet. 

I find them a great ingredient in salads, both cooked and raw, like in my beet quinoa salad and beet apple salad.

Despite my own clear enthusiasm, I know that the flavor of beet is not to everyone’s taste so they may not stand out as something to try on guests. The golden version, though, I think is worth taking the risk on and this simple salad is the perfect way to let them shine (almost literally with that gorgeous color).

Different beet varieties

Growing up, I was only ever aware of the common red beet, but in actual fact there are a few other varieties. Chioggia beets have a beautiful striped pink and white flesh (as shown off in my chioggia beet salad). Golden beets are, well, a gold color as you can see here.

However the difference is more than just purely aesthetic. The flavor of these beets is different, too. What many people struggle with when they try regular beets is they have a slightly iron-y, earthy aftertaste. This is often a little less distinct when they are roasted, I find, but if you are sensitive to it, it may still be too much. 

That earthiness just isn't there with golden beets, so they are a great introduction to the veg or option when you are not sure if everyone would enjoy them. And one of the nice things is they are also pretty much equal in terms of nutrition. In fact, if anything they may be a little better as they have some of those benefits you find in yellow vegetables. 

How to roast beets

Roasting is one of the best ways to keep all the nutrition in the beets and also gives them a really nice texture.

There are a few ways that you can roast beets, either in chunks or whole. Chunks will give you slightly drier (sometimes crispy) edges and cook a bit quicker. Roasting whole takes a bit longer but you get a more even texture that stays moist as well.

What kind of dressing is best?

One of the nice things about this salad is that it is very simple and works with a broad range of dressings. You could use dressings with herbs, a maple vinaigrette, or classic French vinaigrette. I think a preserved lemon vinaigrette would also be good, too.

The salad is also really easy to add to, as suits your taste or how you are serving. So, for example, you could add some seeds, some dried cranberries or different proteins to make it a fuller meal.

This roasted golden beet salad is simple, colorful, light and tasty. The beets have a wonderful gently sweet flavor that even beet-skeptics will hopefully be won over by. It's easy to adapt and makes a great side dish to many a meal, or bulk it out for a light lunch. Perfect for so many occasions.

Try these other salads with beets:

• Beet apple salad with maple vinaigrette 
• Raw beet quinoa salad
• Beet and blood orange salad
• Plus get more side dish recipes in the archives.

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