This Golden Beet Salad with pistachios and creamy goat cheese is a simple side dish salad that’s as delicious as it looks!
Golden Beet Salad
Golden beets often don’t get as much love as their red counterparts, but they deserve a place in your kitchen. I prefer them over red because they’re naturally sweet with a vibrant yellow hue. Plus, their lack of staining everything red makes them a dream to work with. For this Golden Beet Salad, I paired them with
crunchy pistachios, creamy goat cheese, and a bright lemon dressing for the perfect balance of flavor and texture! For red beets, make my Beet Salad with Candied Pecans, and if you want to cook more with golden beets, try my Turmeric Braised Chicken with Golden Beets and Leeks.
Why You’ll Love This Salad with Golden Beets
I actually prefer golden beets over red beets. They add beautiful color to this spring salad and aren’t as messy as red beets. Here’s why this works:
If you make this golden beet salad recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients for this easy golden beet and goat cheese salad. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Golden Beets have a sweeter, milder taste than red beets. To prepare them for roasting, cut off the greens and rinse and scrub the beets.
- Olive Oil for roasting the beets and making the vinaigrette
- Arugula provides a peppery note.
- Snap Peas: Trim off the ends and slice them on the bias (AKA cut them diagonally).
- Pistachios for crunch and protein
- Goat Cheese for a creamy element
- Golden Beet Salad Dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, Dijon, salt, black pepper, grated garlic
How to Make Golden Beet Salad
Beets take a while to cook, so pop them in the oven whenever you’ve got some extra time so they’re ready when it’s time to prepare the dish. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- How to Roast Beets: Place the beets on foil on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt. Wrap in foil and bake at 400°F for 60 to 90 minutes. Test them with a fork; once it easily goes in, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
- Make the Dressing: Add the oil, lemon, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Grate the garlic using a micropane and whisk the vinaigrette until emulsified.
- Prep the Beets: Remove their skins by rubbing them off with a paper towel or rinsing them under water. Discard the skins, then cut the beets into bite-size wedges.
- Assemble the Salad: Put the roasted beets in the bowl with the dressing. Add the arugula, snap peas, goat cheese, and pistachios.
Variations
- Switch Up the Colors: Use all red or a mix of red and golden beets.
- Not an arugula fan? Replace it with mixed baby greens.
- Swap the Cheese: If goat cheese isn’t your favorite, try feta or ricotta salata.
- Nut Subs: Replace pistachios with toasted pecans or omit them if you’re allergic.
- Change the Vinegar: Try the vinaigrette with apple cider or white wine vinegar.
- Add Protein: To make this salad a complete meal, add your favorite protein, such as grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon.
- Citrus Twist: Add orange or grapefruit segments for a bright, juicy contrast to the earthy beets.
- Add fresh herbs, like dill, tarragon, or chives.
Serving Suggestions
This simple golden beet salad would be great with any seafood, meat, or chicken. If you want to keep it vegetarian, pair it with roasted asparagus, pesto pasta with peas, or this spring green pea soup.
Storage
Once you add the dressing, the salad is best eaten immediately. If you want to save it for later, store the beets and snap peas in one container, the arugula in another, and the vinaigrette in another. Then, assemble the salad before eating.
More Beet Recipes You’ll Love
For more salad ideas using beets, check out these five delicious beet salad recipes to inspire your next meal!
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large piece of foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the beets on one half of the foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt.
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Pull the empty side of foil up and over the beets and crimp the edges of the foil together to seal. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to roast for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, until the beets are fork tender. Cooking times can vary based on the size of the beets. Once tender, remove from the foil and let cool until you can easily handle them.
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While the beets are roasting, make your dressing. Add the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper to a salad bowl. Use a microplane to finely grate the garlic into the bowl. Whisk until emulsified and evenly combined. Set aside.
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Once the beets are cool, use clean hands to gently remove the skin. This can be done using a paper towel to wipe the skin off or under running water. Discard the skins and cut the beets into bite-size wedges. Add the wedges to the bowl with the dressing and stir to combine.
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To assemble the salad, add the arugula and snap peas to the bowl and toss to combine. Top with goat cheese and pistachios. Serve immediately.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 190.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 7.5 g, Protein: 4.5 g, Fat: 16.5 g, Saturated Fat: 3.5 g, Cholesterol: 4.5 mg, Sodium: 193 mg, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugar: 4.5 g
