After receiving a small bunch of golden beets in our Riverdog Farm CSA I knew I needed to make this Roasted Golden Beets with Balsamic and Walnuts Recipe. It's perfect for an easy weeknight dinner using the fresh beets from our CSA box.
With lots of options to customize, this is a beets recipe you'll have on repeat. Scroll down to see how we make this and don't forget to pin the recipe card for later!
What We Love About Beets
In recent years, I'm definitely a Beet hater turned Beet lover. This time of year we tend to see bunches of different types of beets in our CSA boxes and after always freezing them for smoothies, I figured I'd trying other methods of cooking them to enjoy the natural sweetness of the beets. Turns out, they are a nutritional powerhouse! Rich in antioxidants and great sources of fiber, beets pack a punch even in their high levels of vitamin C, K, and A. They make for a delicious side dish especially for our holiday table.
What We Love About This Roasted Golden Beets Salad Recipe
This Golden Beet Salad Recipe is the epitome of simple yet satisfying. It makes a great salad for the Work from Home Lunch and packs well to take on the go. Depending on the size of your beets you'll want to adjust the cooking time accordingly. The vibrant colors of the cut beets add pop and a mix of colors to our everyday salad.
I love the golden beets in place of traditional red beets but it's great having both in the salad for the beet lover. As a bonus, you can also add the beet greens to the salad greens or freeze them for later. I love adding them to smoothies!
Ingredients for the Roasted Golden Beets Recipe with Walnuts and Balsamic
The roasted beets reveal a natural sweetness that pairs beautifully with a roast chicken breast and a savory vinaigrette. While you can add goat cheese or feta cheese to the salad, I actually prefer it without the added dairy. There are three components to the layers of this salad. First, the roast yellow beets. Second, the Lemon-Maple dressing to marinate the large golden beets post roast. Finally, the layers of the salad that's perfect for an easy weeknight dinner tonight.
Here's what we need to make this delicious Golden Beet recipe:
Roast Golden Beets
- 4 cups peeled and diced Golden Beets from about 5 beets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is my go-to salt for everyday cooking.
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Lemon-Maple Vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest: I love the bright notes the lemon adds to the earthy flavor of the beets. You can also use orange zest too.
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice: If opting to use orange zest then use the orange juice too.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup: This adds a hint of sweetness to our beets.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Roasted Golden Beet Salad
- 1 pound cooked grilled diced chicken: To make this an entree salad, a heft of protein is welcome here. Otherwise, you can omit is using this as part of your side dishes or you can swap for cooked white beans.
- 2 cups toasted croutons
- ½ cup toasted chopped walnuts
- 8 cups mixed greens
- ¼ cup good quality syrupy balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
How to Roast Golden Beets for This Recipe
Roasting the Golden Beets
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Peel and dice beets into ½ inch diced chunks. Place diced beets on prepared baking sheet.
- Season beets with olive oil, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Roast beets for 25 to 30 minutes until fork tender. Allow to cool slightly before adding the lemon-maple vinaigrette. Toss beets with the lemon-maple vinaigrette and allow to marinate for 30 minutes or longer.
Salad Assembly
To assemble salad, layer a bed of mixed greens in a salad bowl and top with grilled chicken, toasted walnuts, croutons, and the roast golden beets. Whisk together the syrupy balsamic and olive oil to make a fast vinaigrette. Drizzle over the salad and gently toss to combine everything together. Serve.
Cooking Tips, Substitutions, and FAQ
Beets are a wonderful root vegetable to pick up at your local farmers market when they're in season. They make for a color dish to brighten the cold and dreary winter months and are the perfect addition to our favorite salads. If you're wanting to prep the beets ahead of time, here are a couple of cooking tips to note:
- After roasting beets, you can cool them completely to room temperature then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like to meal prep the roast beets ahead of time for the week's salads.
- When roasting the beets, give them a good scrub then use a vegetable peeler to peel the beets' outer skin. I've always done it this way and it's been easier to do then to remove the skin post cook time.
- Can we opt for other dressings? Yes! A white balsamic vinaigrette will work with a drizzle of walnut oil. This is another favorite dressing of mine. A tangy balsamic glaze works beautifully to pair with the earthy taste of the root veggies. Flavor notes I tend to try with the beets: tangy, sweet, bright. Citrus and balsamics work well in just that way.
Roasted Golden Beets with Balsamic and Walnuts Recipe
Ingredients
Roast Golden Beets
- 4 cups peeled and diced Golden Beets from about 5 beets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Lemon-Maple Vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Roasted Golden Beet Salad
- 1 pound cooked grilled diced chicken
- 2 cups toasted croutons
- ½ cup toasted chopped walnuts
- 8 cups mixed greens
- ¼ cup good quality syrupy balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Roasting the Golden Beets
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Peel and dice beets into ½ inch diced chunks. Place diced beets on prepared baking sheet.
- Season beets with olive oil, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Roast beets for 25 to 30 minutes until fork tender. Allow to cool slightly before adding the lemon-maple vinaigrette. Toss beets with the lemon-maple vinaigrette and allow to marinate for 30 minutes or longer.
Salad Assembly
- To assemble salad, layer a bed of mixed greens in a salad bowl and top with grilled chicken, toasted walnuts, croutons, and the roast golden beets. Whisk together the syrupy balsamic and olive oil to make a fast vinaigrette. Drizzle over the salad and gently toss to combine everything together. Serve.
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