Name: Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets (ideally mixed variety); Olive oil; Salt and pepper (to taste); 6 cups mixed salad greens; 1 to 2 carrots (ribboned); 1 pear (thinly sliced); 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese); 1/4 cup toasted walnuts (roughly chopped); 1/4 cup orange juice; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or cider vinegar); 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste); Dash ground black pepper; 1/2 cup olive oil

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This roasted beet salad brings vibrant color and flavor to the dinner table. Serve it as a side salad or a vegetarian main for two.

A bowl of mixed salad with leafy greens, sliced carrots, beets, pear, walnuts, and cheese, with wooden salad servers and a small jug of dressing nearby.

a note from megan

2026 Update: I first published this recipe back in 2011, but I’ve updated it with an improved recipe, new photos, and more tips. Enjoy!

Is there a vegetable that divides your family? Beets are one of my husband’s favorites, so we nearly always have them in the house when they’re popping up at the farmers market.

I like to make jars of pickled beets for him, and one of the best ways to get me to eat beets is to do a simple roast and then toss them into a salad. Who can resist a salad full of cheese, nuts, and a bright dressing?

Seek out a variety of beets for this salad, if you can. Golden beets aren’t quite as earthy as their red counterparts, so they’re a good way to ease in the beet-avoider in your life.

Don’t skip making the dressing—I promise it’s really easy, and chances are you already have the ingredients on hand.

Serve this roasted beet salad as a starter, side, or main and brighten up your day!

Ingredients for beet salad

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

A flat lay of salad ingredients including feta, salad greens, walnuts, white wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, pear, dijon, beets, and carrots, each labeled.

You’ll need:

Fresh beets, preferably a mix of varieties
Olive oil
Mixed salad greens
Carrots
Pear
Feta or goat cheese crumbles
Walnuts
Orange juice
White wine vinegar or cider vinegar
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Try to find beets that are somewhat similar in size so they will roast evenly. Your beets will likely have greens attached—don’t toss these! Save for another day and sauté them with olive oil and garlic for an easy side.

You can use pecans instead of walnuts if you like, though I prefer the milder flavor of the walnuts for this salad.

For the mixed greens, look for a blend that includes a variety of flavors, like baby spinach, radicchio, frisée, green leaf, baby arugula, and more.

A bowl of mixed salad with leafy greens, sliced pears, beets, walnuts, and carrots, surrounded by a dressing, cheese, walnuts, and wooden salad utensils on a light-colored surface.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Wash the beets and trim both ends. Place the beets in a baking dish and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 45 minutes, or until tender.

If some of your beets are smaller, make sure to check on them starting at around 30 minutes of cooking. You want the beets to be fork-tender but not overly soft. Remove any beets that are ready earlier.

A blue-handled baking dish with whole red and yellow beets, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with pepper, on a light textured surface next to a pink-striped cloth.

A white cutting board with sliced yellow and red beets, beet peelings, a whole yellow beet, a kitchen towel, and a knife.

Once the beets are done, let them rest until they are cool enough to handle. You can pop them into the refrigerator, or simply get the rest of the salad ready while they cool.

Peel the cooled beets and slice into rounds, wedges, or chunks (depending on the size of the beet and your preference).

Make the dressing by whisking together the orange juice, vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Then, while whisking, pour in the olive oil. Continue to whisk until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

A bowl of yellow liquid, likely dressing or sauce, sits on a light countertop with a whisk, a halved orange, small bowls, and a red cloth nearby.

A bowl of mixed salad with greens, sliced carrots, beets, walnuts, cheese, and pear, surrounded by dressing, cheese, carrot ribbons, walnuts, and a wooden serving set.

To assemble the salad, use a large mixing bowl or assemble directly in a serving bowl. Add the salad greens, roasted beets, carrot ribbons, sliced pears, cheese, and walnuts.

Ribboning carrots: This sounds fancy but is simply using your veggie peeler to create long, thin strips of carrot. If you prefer you can simply slice the carrots instead.

Add the dressing and toss gently to mix, or serve the salad undressed with the dressing on the side.

Recipe tips

Dressed salads do not keep well, so if you want to prep this salad in advance, I recommend just preparing the beets and dressing, then storing in the refrigerator until meal time.

If you swap the feta with goat cheese, note that because it is slightly softer, the goat cheese can get mashed into the salad a bit when tossing with the dressing. You can avoid this by serving the goat cheese or the dressing on the side for diners to add themselves.

You can substitute the orange vinaigrette for balsamic vinaigrette or a basic bottled vinaigrette dressing.

A bowl of mixed greens salad with sliced carrots, beets, pears, walnuts, and cheese, served with wooden salad servers.

I love all the different flavors and textures in this beet salad. Give it a try and it might make you love beets!

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Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Roasting beets unlocks their earthy sweetness, making them perfectly delicious in this fresh salad.

Author : Megan Myers

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Recipe Review

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 443 kcal

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets, ideally mixed variety
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 to 2 carrots, ribboned
1 pear, thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, or goat cheese
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Dash ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Wash and trim beets. Place in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and roast for 45 minutes, or until tender (total time will depend on size of beets).
1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets, Olive oil, Salt and pepper
Let beets cool until easily handled, then peel and slice into rounds or chunks. (Chill in fridge 30 minutes if you like.)
To make the dressing, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in olive oil until thickened and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
1/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, Dash ground black pepper, 1/2 cup olive oil
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl combine salad greens, beets, carrots, pear, cheese, and walnuts. Add dressing and serve.
6 cups mixed salad greens, 1 to 2 carrots, 1 pear, 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Notes

If your beets are very different in size, check on the smaller ones beginning at 30 minutes.
To ribbon the carrots, peel the carrots, then continue using the peeler down the length of the carrot to make ribbons.

Nutrition

Calories: 443 kcalCarbohydrates: 30 gProtein: 7 gFat: 35 gSaturated Fat: 6 gCholesterol: 11 mgSodium: 608 mgPotassium: 833 mgFiber: 7 gSugar: 18 gIron: 2 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

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