Welcome to March!
I’m so glad it’s March — spring is edging closer and I can almost taste the lighter days ahead.
After last week’s Kale Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing, I promised myself I’d build more cohesive, thoughtful salads. I kept that promise and created another favorite: a deconstructed honey roasted beet salad served with whipped goat cheese.
I first tasted this at a local Italian restaurant last summer and the presentation stuck with me. Instead of tossing everything together, each ingredient was placed beside the others so every forkful could be assembled intentionally. It looked elegant and felt refined.
Recreating it at home became a little mission. My first attempt included burned nuts and a failed goat cheese moment — yes, it is possible to mess up goat cheese — but this version landed perfectly.
The beets are roasted until tender and glazed with honey for a sticky, caramelized edge. Walnuts are candied in just a few minutes for sweet crunch, dried cranberries add tart balance, and a handful of spring greens are dressed in a simple honey-balsamic vinaigrette. All of these elements sit beside a generous scoop of fluffy, tangy whipped goat cheese.
The whipped goat cheese is a star — creamy, airy, and impossible not to love.
One of the best things about this salad is how well it stores: you can prepare the components a day ahead and assemble just before serving. That makes it ideal for entertaining or a pretty, bright lunch at home. Your guests will be impressed, and it’s a lovely way to brighten your weekday meals too.
Enjoy!
Deconstructed Honey Roasted Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese
- Author: Emily Koch
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 2 to 3
- Category: Salad, Entree
- Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
This salad is simple to assemble, beautiful to serve, and full of complementary textures and flavors: honey roasted beets, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, mixed greens dressed in honey-balsamic vinaigrette, and a cloud of whipped goat cheese.
Ingredients
- For the whipped goat cheese:
- 8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
- 3 to 4 tablespoons skim milk, room temperature
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- For the honey roasted beets:
- 2 large gold beets, washed
- 2 large red beets, washed
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, divided
- 4 tablespoons honey, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- For candied walnuts:
- 1 cup raw walnut halves or pieces
- 1/4 scant cup raw sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- For the salad:
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 handfuls mixed greens, washed and dried
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whipped goat cheese:
- Place goat cheese and 2 tablespoons milk in a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip until light and fluffy, forming small peaks. Add another tablespoon or two of milk if needed; the mixture should be thick and airy. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to an airtight container and chill until serving.
- Honey roasted beets:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Trim tops and bottoms, peel, and cut beets into ½-inch cubes. If using both colors, work with gold beets first and keep colors separate to avoid staining.
- Spread gold beets on one rimmed baking sheet and red beets on another. To each sheet add 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Toss to coat and arrange in a single layer.
- Bake 10–15 minutes, stirring and rotating pans halfway through, until fork-tender. Allow to cool, keeping colors separated.
- Candied walnuts:
- Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts, raw sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Stir constantly until the sugar melts and coats the nuts, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to parchment and spread into a single layer, separating clusters. Cool completely before handling.
- Salad dressing and assembly:
- Whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- To assemble on each plate, scoop about 1/4 cup chilled whipped goat cheese (an ice cream scoop works well). Arrange a spoonful of red beets and a spoonful of gold beets beside the cheese. Add a line of candied walnuts and a line of dried cranberries. Toss a handful of mixed greens with a tablespoon of dressing and place beside the cranberries. Repeat for remaining servings and serve immediately.
Notes
All components can be made up to a day ahead and stored separately. Assemble the salad just before serving for the best texture and presentation.