This Beet Salad Recipe with roasted beets, fresh citrus, creamy goat or feta cheese, candied almonds, and a tangy citrus-balsamic vinaigrette.
author’s note
Roasted Beets, Citrus, And A Whole Lot Of “Make This Again”!
I have always loved roasted beets, especially when they’re paired with roasted sweet potatoes. A few months ago, I started playing around with a citrus beet salad recipe because I wanted something bright and fresh but still hearty enough for a family dinner. The first version was good, but the dressing wasn’t quite right. The next try had too much citrus. The one after that needed more crunch.
By the fourth round, everything finally came together. The warm roasted beets soaked up the citrus balsamic dressing, the oranges added a sweet pop, and the goat cheese brought in the perfect creaminess. I set the bowl on the counter, took one bite, and knew instantly this was the version I’d been trying to get to.
It’s simple, vibrant, and the kind of salad I reach for when I want something that feels a little special without being fussy.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swap or Tip |
|---|---|
| Beets | Roast for the best flavor. You can use pre-roasted store beets in a pinch. |
| Citrus (clementines, tangelos) | Mix and match any sweet citrus. Peel into segments for a quick shortcut instead of supreming. |
| Goat cheese or feta | Goat cheese gives creaminess. Feta gives a salty crumble. Use what you love. |
| Candied almonds | Store bought honey roasted almonds work great. Or use toasted almonds for less sugar. |
| Spring mix | A 50/50 spinach and spring mix blend holds up well to dressing and juicy citrus. |
| Citrus balsamic dressing | Always use fresh citrus juice. Better olive oil gives much better flavor. |
Shortcuts
Short-cut: Use pre-roasted beets: A lot of stores have already-roasted beets in their produce section; pick the plain variety and simply chop those up for Beet Salad. In a pinch, you can use canned beets; make sure to drain them thoroughly.
How To Make This Beet Salad Recipe
- Roast the beets until tender and caramelized.
- Shake together the dressing in a jar.
- Toss warm beets with a spoonful of dressing so they soak in the flavor.
- Candy the almonds in a skillet or use store bought.
- Prepare the citrus by segmenting or peeling into pieces.
- Assemble spring mix, beets, citrus, cheese, almonds. Drizzle dressing and enjoy.
Quick Tip
I highly recommend roasting beets on parchment paper! They roast more evenly and won’t leave behind a mess on your pan.
Converting Beet Salad Into A Main Dish
I love Beet Salad with thinly sliced grilled chicken or shredded chicken added in.
I’ve also enjoyed it on the side with grilled flank steak.
Storage
- This Beet Salad Recipe doesn’t sit or store well after it’s made. Once assembled, the salad needs to be eaten soon after; otherwise, the dressing wilts the greens and the almonds soften.
- To make ahead: Prepare everything, but store ingredients separately in the fridge. Assemble the salad right before eating.
More Delicious Salad Recipes:
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Citrus Quinoa Salad
Healthy
Kale Salad Recipe
Salads
Mandarin Orange Salad
Salads
Quinoa and Almond Salad
Beet Salad
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15" x 21") 15 x 21-inch
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- 2 clementine oranges (2 tbsp juice and 2 teaspoons zest)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Goat cheese or feta cheese, I add 1/3 cup but add to preference
- 2 clementine oranges
- 3 tangelo oranges or more clementines
- 7 cups and 6 ounces spring mix lettuce blend we use 50/50 blend spinach and spring mix leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large 15×21-inch sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside (see note 1). Remove the tops and stems of beets and peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes (see photos in the post for tips). Add beet cubes to the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil plus salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat the beets and spread in an even layer so beets aren’t overlapping. Bake 15 minutes, remove and toss, and bake 15 more minutes. If needed, toss again and bake for another 5–10 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through a beet. Remove from oven.
- While beets are roasting, combine all dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth jar. Seal and shake well until combined; you may need to stir the honey in if it settles at the bottom. Toss chopped beets with 1 tablespoon of dressing, cover, and place in fridge to marinate while preparing the rest of the salad.
- While the beets cool, prepare the candied almonds. In a large pan, add sliced almonds and sugar. Turn heat to medium-high and stir near constantly. The sugar will begin to melt, become a sticky liquid, and stick to the almonds, about 3–4 minutes—watch carefully to avoid burning. As soon as the sugar begins to melt, remove from heat, keep stirring for another minute, then spread the candied almonds onto a sheet of parchment paper and let harden. Once hard, break apart.
- Either peel clementines and break into segments or use a sharp knife to cut off the peels and thinly slice. Either works great!
- Add lettuce to a large bowl or platter. Top with the diced cooled beets, citrus, sliced and candied almonds, and goat cheese (see note 2). Drizzle dressing on to your preference; you may not want it all (I use about 3/4 of it. Leftover dressing stays good for up to a week in the fridge and is great on veggies/other salads.) Gently toss to combine, taste for any additional seasoning or if you want to add more dressing, and enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my gosh this salad combines all of my favorite things.
By the way, I heard you on the FoodBloggerPro podcast this morning, and you were so inspirational! Great story and I hope that someday my blog will take off like yours. 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words Samantha; I really appreciate it! 🙂 And your blog is lovely!!
OMG this is delicious!
You can just see the flavor in this salad! So vibrant! Love it 😉
Thank you so much Olivia! 🙂
YUM!