This Golden Beet Salad is a lovely way to showcase golden beets. Roast them until tender, then combine with Tuscan kale, dates, and almonds in a white balsamic vinaigrette.
Beets are such an underrated vegetable! I first wrote this simple Roasted Golden Beets recipe for the blog, because I love adding beets to grain bowls and salads of all kinds. But then I decided they needed to be the hero of their own story, and this beet salad recipe was born.
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Why Make This Recipe
- Delicious flavor combination
- So colorful—makes a beautiful plate on your holiday table
- Easy to prep in advance
- Packed with nutrients, protein, and fiber
🥗 Ingredients
- Almonds: Both sliced or slivered almonds work well. You can also toast whole almonds, and chop them up when toasted. Good substitutes include pecans, walnuts, or pistachios
- Golden Beets: Look for firm beets that are heavy for their size. Avoid anything that feels spongey, or whose greens are wilted or slimy. Red beets make an easy substitute.
- Tuscan Kale: Try to find bunches of kale with fresh dark green leaves and no brown spots. Regular curly kale makes a fine substitute.
- Dates: You can usually find these in the produce department, or with the other dried fruits. If you can’t find them, you can leave them out or substitute dried apricots or dried cranberries.
- Goat Cheese: You could easily substitute blue cheese or feta cheese instead of goat cheese, if you prefer.
- White Balsamic Vinegar: This may not be as easy to find as regular balsamic vinegar, but it is worth seeking out. You can often find it in specialty grocery stores, or try this Seggiano White Balsamic Vinegar available on Amazon. You can also substitute traditional balsamic vinegar for both roasting the beets and making the vinaigrette.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
Add ½ cup sliced almonds to a small baking sheet, and put into the oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove baking sheet from the oven, and set almonds aside to cool.
Turn up oven to 450 degrees. Divide 1 pound golden beets into 2 groups, keeping same-sized beets together. Put the first group of beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil and ½ tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, then fold up the foil around them. Repeat for the remaining beets. Bake for 1 hour, then poke a skewer into the middle of each beet to test whether it is tender.
While the beets are roasting, make the salad dressing by combining 1 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar with 1 teaspoon dijon mustard in a small bowl. Whisk well, then slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Use a knife to cut the tough center ribs from a bunch of Tuscan kale, then stack the leaves and cut into thin slices.
Remove the pits from 4 ounces dates (about 7 of them), then chop into small, bite-sized pieces.
When beets are tender, remove from oven, cool slightly, then peel with a paring knife or sharp peeler. Slice beets in circles, half-circles, or chunks (whichever you prefer).
Add sliced kale to a large bowl and toss with ¾ of the dressing. Let sit for 10 minutes to let the kale leaves absorb the dressing and soften.
Add to serving platter, then top with golden beets, dates, nuts, and 2 ½ ounces crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with remaining dressing, then serve.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Golden Beet Salad
Golden beets and red beets taste pretty similar, though red beets have a slightly more earthy flavor. Golden beets (also called yellow beets) are a little more mild in flavor. Nutritionally, both kinds of beets are also very similar, but red beets have a slight advantage. The deep red color of red beets means they are high in anthocyanin, an antioxidant.
I prefer roasting fresh beets in foil, as it allows them to steam as they roast. This way, the beets stay tender and don’t dry out. And, it is easier to peel them after they are roasted. If you try it the other way, and peel the beets first, you might find they dry out a bit in the hot oven.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Note that the roast time depends on the size of your beets. If you have a bunch of smaller beets, they might only take 45 minutes to bake. Check early with a skewer.
Using a sharp vegetable peeler will really help get the beet skin off quickly and easily.
Want to add more flavor to your beets? Feel free to add fresh herbs into your foil packet, such as rosemary or thyme.
Don’t want to use the oven to roast your golden beets? Try steaming them using an instant pot or a steamer basket over a saucepan.
Double the vinaigrette, and store in a mason jar for future salads.
If your beets came with fresh beet greens, cut them off and use them as another side dish. Once they are cleaned, you can chop them and sauté them in olive oil with some salt and pepper. Add balsamic vinegar for more flavor.
Want to make this beet salad into a full meal? This recipe makes a great side dish for simple grilled chicken or sausages. I also love serving this with main courses like Sautéed Crab Cakes or Turkey Zucchini Meatballs. Or stay vegetarian and serve with a Cheesy Mushroom Quiche or French Lentil Soup.
Other Delicious Beet Recipes
If you are a beet lover like I am, be sure to check out some of my other favorites for both red and golden beets.
If you try this Golden Beet Salad recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Golden Beet Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds about 2 ounces
- 1 pound golden beets
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale
- 4 ounces dates about 7
- 2 ½ ounces goat cheese crumbled
- 2 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar divided
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Add the almonds to a small baking sheet, and put into the oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove baking sheet from the oven, and set almonds aside to cool.
- Turn up oven to 450 degrees.
- Divide the beets into 2 groups, keeping same-sized beets together. Put the first group of beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil and ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, then fold up the foil around them. Repeat for the remaining beets.
- Bake for 1 hour, then use a skewer to test whether they are tender.
- While the beets are roasting, make the vinaigrette by combining 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar with the dijon mustard in a small bowl. Whisk well, then slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use a knife to cut the tough center ribs from the kale, then stack the leaves and cut into thin slices.
- Remove the pits from the dates, then chop into small, bite-sized pieces.
- When beets are tender, remove from oven, cool slightly, then peel with a knife or sharp peeler. Slice beets in circles, half-circles, or chunks (whichever you prefer).
- Add sliced kale to a medium bowl and toss with ¾ of the dressing. Let sit for 10 minutes to let the kale leaves absorb the dressing and soften.
- Add to serving platter, then top with golden beets, dates, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with remaining dressing, then serve.
Notes
Note that the roast time depends on the size of your beets. If you have a bunch of smaller beets, they might only take 45 minutes to bake. Check early with a skewer.
Using a sharp vegetable peeler will really help get the beet skin off quickly and easily.
Want to add more flavor to your beets? Feel free to add fresh herbs into your foil packet, such as rosemary or thyme.
Don’t want to use the oven to roast your golden beets? Try steaming them using an instant pot or a steamer basket over a saucepan.
Double the vinaigrette, and store in a mason jar for future salads. Storage Tips:
Refrigerate any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If possible, store the toasted almonds separately at room temperature.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this roasted golden beet salad recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Molly Pisula says
Love this combo of dates and beets--plus the white balsamic in the dressing is worth seeking out!