Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad

The sweetness of the beetroot and salty creaminess of the goats cheese make them the perfect combination for an easy salad. With a little crunch from the walnuts, this Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad proves that salads are far more than just greens and they don't have to be boring. Great as either a side dish of a light lunch.

We are all about the salads at the moment and we are on a mission to show just have versatile and filling a salad can be. Once you have a bed of subtly dressed greens, your options are almost endless. We like a mixture of textures with plenty of crunch, some creaminess and some chunky vegetables, and this beetroot salad ticks all the boxes.

What I love about salad is the simplicity of them. You don't want to over complicate the flavours and have too much competing against each other. This is a hearty and filling salad that can either be serves on the side of chicken or fish or as a light lunch.

Jump to:

• Why should you try it?
• Step by step
• What beetroot to use
• Beetroot salad dressing
• What else can be added?
• Can it be made in advance?
• What to serve with this
• Extra tips
• More salad recipes
• Recipe

Why should you try it?

Step by step

One: Make the salad dressing by combining the oil, balsamic, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper. Place the salad leaves in a large bowl and add the dressing. Mix well so that all the leaves are coated.

Two:  Roughly chop the beetroot and add on top of the salad leaves.

Three: Add the goats cheese...

Four: ...and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper (if desired) and it's ready to serve.

What beetroot to use

We made a shortcut with this salad and used ready cooked beetroot from a packet. Whilst we are all for making things from scratch, peeling beetroot, cooking for 40 minutes and having purple hands for the rest of the day is just a bit to much sometimes. So we buy it ready cooked.

If you wanted to use raw beetroot, then peel and chop the beetroot in to chunks, mix with some olive oil (I like to add some balsamic too) and then roast for about 40 minutes until softened.

Beetroot salad dressing

A dressing can really make or break a salad, so it's important to put some thought in to it. There needs to be a delicate balance of oil and vinegar, some sweetness (in my opinion) and a little kick from some mustard goes a long way. It also needs to be seasoned correctly, so always do a taste test after adding salt and pepper.

We use the best quality olive oil we can buy and often use balsamic vinegar because it has that touch of sweetness to it. Again, you want to use the best quality possible as you can really taste the difference.

We also sometimes add a drizzle of honey over the finished salad which goes really well with the beetroot and goats cheese.

What else can be added?

The great thing about a salad is that you never have to make it the same way twice. Because this is quite a hearty and filling salad, we like to lighten it up by adding some orange or grapefruit slice to it. You could always add slices of strawberries or some blueberries to it.

Feel free to change the cheese and nuts used too. You could use feta instead of a more traditional soft goats cheese and you could swap with walnuts for pecans or cashews. Want to give this salad a protein boost? Add some cooked chickpeas or quinoa.

Can it be made in advance?

Yes, you can, but don't make it too far in advance though, as the beetroot will stain the goats cheese and make everything purple. Not that that's really a big deal, but it doesn't make it look its best.

You could always dress the greens in advance and chop the toppings up and put in to separate bowls and then top just before serving.

What to serve with this

I think this salad is pretty perfect the way it is, but if you are serving it as a side salad then it would go well with grilled chicken or salmon. If you are having it as a light lunch, then we like some warm crusty bread on the side of it.

Extra tips

• If you don't want to have purple hands for the rest of the day, then wear gloves when chopping the beetroot.
• You can swap the walnuts for pecans or cashews and use feta instead of a goats cheese log if you prefer.
• Some cooked chickpeas give this salad a little protein boost.
• We used ready cooked beetroot, but you can roast chunks of peeled beetroot with some olive oil for 40 minutes until softened.
• Take this salad to the next level by adding a drizzle of honey over the finished salad.

More salad recipes

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