Roasted Beet Salad with Feta

This roasted beet salad with feta is made with fresh beets, peppery arugula, crunchy walnuts, creamy feta, and a bright citrus vinaigrette. It’s the best beet salad recipe for summer—simple, healthy, and full of flavor, served cold. You’ll have an easy summer dinner side that’s great for family meals, BBQs, or light lunches. Pin this easy summer salad recipe now to keep your dinner ideas fresh and colorful!

Pin

This beet and feta salad feels elegant while being absolutely effortless. Earthy roasted beets combine with tangy, creamy feta in this colorful and refreshing salad. Tossed with peppery arugula, crunchy walnuts, and a bright citrus vinaigrette, every bite is the perfect balance of flavor and texture. It’s a simple yet elevated dish that works beautifully as a light lunch, a starter, or a show-stopping side dish for any meal or potluck.

Why this is the best roasted beet salad with feta

It's easy. Roast the beets, whisk the dressing together, and assemble the salad. That's it.

It's quick. The beets do need to roast for 45 minutes, but the hands-on time is less than 10. And if you buy pre-cooked beets, this recipe comes together in just a few minutes.

Pin

It uses common ingredients. Your local grocery store undoubtedly has everything you need to make roasted beet salad with feta.

It's very healthy. There are lots of veggies in this salad and nearly no sugar. You can feel good about feeding this beet and feta salad to your kids because it's loaded with nutrients! Throw in a protein like balsamic marinated chicken breasts, and it's a full meal.

It tastes great! This easy salad might just become your new favorite meal. It's not one of those "4-ingredient dinners," but I think that's a good thing because the flavors are rich and complex. The sweetness of the beets contrasted with the saltiness of the feta and the tanginess of the homemade vinaigrette makes a winning combination.

It's versatile. If you don't like arugula, you can swap it out for another type of green. You can substitute pecans or almonds for the walnuts. You can also add a protein, anything from chicken to salmon to tofu, to make it a filling one-dish meal.

It's allergy-friendly and great for special diets. This recipe, as written, is gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and low in carbs. It's fully vegetarian and great for keto and bariatric diets. If you substitute a vegan cheese for the feta, it would be vegan and dairy-free. As always, check the labels carefully to ensure that all your ingredients fit with your dietary needs.

Pin

What you'll need to make arugula beet salad with feta

Equipment

• Rimmed baking sheet - This is to roast the fresh beets. Your baking tray needs to have a lip around the edge to catch any juices that might be released from the beets.
• Aluminum foil - This is to wrap the beets before roasting to seal in moisture and prevent them from getting dry.
• Microplane grater - This is to grate the fresh ginger.

Ingredients

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutrition facts.

Pin

For the homemade dressing

• Orange juice - This is what gives the homemade vinaigrette dressing its tartness. You can use the juice from one large fresh orange or measure from a bottle or carton. I don't squeeze my own.
• Low sodium soy sauce - This gives the dressing an umami flavor. Without it, the dressing will just taste like orange juice poured over your beets. I always use low sodium soy sauce because that's my preference, but you can use whatever you want. Note that some brands of soy sauce contain gluten, so if you are gluten-free, you will need to read the labels to find one that is safe for you to eat.
• Freshly grated ginger - Ginger and orange go together so well to bring a bit of warmth and spice. Peel the ginger before grating it.
• Dijon mustard - The mustard helps to emulsify the dressing so that it holds together without separating. Don't use plain yellow mustard here.
• Sea salt - For flavor.
• Cracked black pepper - For flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil - You can use any type of oil that you like for the dressing, but olive oil has a beautiful, light flavor that pairs well with the bright citrus.

For the salad

• Fresh red beets - The beets are the star of the dish. If you want to make this recipe even faster, you can take a look in the produce section of your supermarket for already cooked beets. If you can’t find them there, you can use canned beets for this salad. You can also use golden beets. Obviously, if you're using fresh beets, you will want to thoroughly wash the beets before roasting them. There's no need to peel them raw as the skins will slip right off after they've been roasted.
• Fresh arugula - Arugula is a flavorful and slightly peppery tender green. Also called rocket and sometimes baby arugula, it adds flavor and texture to this dish. If you don’t like arugula, try a mild but still tender butter lettuce or any other lettuce that you like. The recipe calls for one cup of arugula, but basically, you want enough to fill each plate. One cup is just an estimate.
• Crumbled Feta cheese - You can't go wrong with creamy feta cheese so add as much as you want.
• Candied walnut pieces - I like the crunch and sweetness of candied walnuts, but you could also use plain. IF you use plain, I recommend toasting them by spreading them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roasting for 7 to 10 minutes in a 350ºF oven. Watch them closely because they will go from toasted to burnt in under a minute. Remove them from the oven as soon as you notice a pleasant aroma.

How to make the best red beet salad with feta

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Wash and trim the beets, removing any leaves before wrapping each beet individually in aluminum foil.
   Pin
3. Roast the beets for about 45 minutes or until fork-tender.
4. While the beets bake, prepare the homemade salad dressing. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, mustard, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
   Pin
5. While whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it’s all added.
   Pin
6. When the roasted beetroots are soft and cool enough to touch, gently rub the outsides to remove the outermost layer of skin (wearing gloves will help you avoid staining your hands).
   Pin
7. Slice your beets into uniform bite-sized pieces. Toss to coat in the dressing, allowing them to marinate for at least 15 minutes while they cool.
   Pin
8. Arrange the arugula on a serving platter or in a large bowl.
   Pin
9. Pour the beets with the dressing over the arugula.
   Pin
10. Sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles and candied walnuts.
    Pin

Cook's Tips for the Best Beetroot Salad

This recipe is simple to make and comes together quickly, but I still have a few tips for success every time.

• Wear gloves when peeling your beets. This will prevent your hands from getting stained.
• If you don’t want to or don’t have the time to roast your own beets, you can buy them pre-cooked at the grocery store. You’ll find them fresh in the produce department or canned with the other vegetables.
• Arugula is a delicate and flavorful green that pairs great with the earthy beets, but you can use any type of lettuce that you like. For something milder, try using butter lettuce. You can even serve the beets and toppings in a leaf of butter lettuce to create a hand-held salad that can be eaten without a fork.
• If you can’t find candied walnuts, you can easily make them yourself. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. When it's all melted, add about ½ cup walnuts and continue to stir for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and separate the nuts into a single layer to cool. Make sure they're completely cooled to room temperature before adding them to your salad.
• You don't have to use candied walnuts. See the note below for roasting plain walnuts instead.

Pin

Substitutions and variations

You could replace my homemade citrus vinaigrette with balsamic vinaigrette, either homemade or store-bought.

I do not recommend replacing the orange juice with the juice of a different citrus fruit, as most others are more tart and less sweet. You would need to add sugar to use lemon juice or lime juice, for example.

You don't have to use candied nuts. If you prefer to reduce the sugar in the recipe, you can use plain raw walnuts and toast them for flavor. Spread them out on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast for 7 to 10 minutes in a pre-heated 350ºF oven. Watch them closely because they will go from toasted to burnt in under a minute. Remove them from the oven as soon as you notice a pleasant aroma.

Pin

Or you can replace the walnuts altogether and use pecans, almonds, or pistachios.

You can replace the feta with crumbled goat cheese.

You can replace the arugula with butter lettuce, baby spinach, kale, or another type of green.

You can add red onion to the beets. Coarsely chop the onion, toss it with olive oil, and roast it alongside the beets (which are still wrapped in foil) on a separate baking sheet in the oven. Keep an eye on the onions because they will be done long before the beets.

What do I serve with roasted beet salad with feta?

This salad is hearty and robust, yet light and refreshing. It’s the perfect salad to serve on its own, but also pairs well with many other summer or fall dishes. Here are some of my favorites.

• Add to the heartiness of this salad while keeping it vegetarian by including wild or brown rice, quinoa, farro, or orzo pasta.
• If you’re looking to adorn your beet and feta salad with a protein, you’re in luck. This salad pairs great with everything from grilled chicken to steak, salmon, shrimp, and even grilled tofu.
• Make it a full meal and serve this salad with sweet potato fries and a glass of chardonnay. Root veggies like sweet potatoes pair well with the beets.

Pin

Storing leftovers

Roasted beet salad is best eaten when freshly prepared because greens with dressing do not store well and will become slimy in a day or so because of the acidity in the vinaigrette.

If you think you will not eat all of the salad, I would suggest assembling each portion individually on a plate, adding the beets and dressing in small amounts, rather than assembling the entire salad, pouring all of the beets and dressing over the arugula, and then having to store leftovers.

Your arugula will keep much better if it does not come in contact with the dressing prior to storage.

Stored separately, the individual ingredients can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. All of the parts of this recipe need to be stored in the fridge, including the opened package of walnuts. Store everything but the greens in airtight containers.

Check out these other delicious summer salad recipes:

• BLT Salad with the Best Homemade Salad Dressing
• Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
• Cucumber Pasta Salad - A Healthy Alternative to Creamy Pasta Salad
• The Best Broccoli Salad Recipe - With Mayo
• The Best Broccoli Salad with No Mayo
• Creamy Macaroni Salad - Nothing crunchy in this recipe
• Simple Instant Pot Potato Salad Recipe - Also nothing crunchy in this one
• Egg and Olive Salad Sandwich Recipe
• Egg and Asparagus Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
• Red, White, & Blue Fruit Salad

Recipe