Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarins, Goat Cheese and Arugula

This Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarins, Goat Cheese and Arugula is a long-time personal favorite of ours and a consistently popular recipe here on BaconFatte.com. I’ve made a few tweaks over the years, but it never gets old. If you like roasted beets and vibrant vinaigrettes, this roasted beet salad recipe is right up your alley!

This recipe was originally published September of 2015. Post and images updated June of 2021.

Canned Mandarins vs. Fresh Oranges

The first time I made this roasted beet salad, I used fresh oranges. They were fairly mild, but absolutely wonderful together. A few weeks later I made this salad again using the can of mandarins that I had on hand, and it was a game changer. The brighter, sweeter canned mandarins took this roasted beet salad to the next level!

The Greens

The texture and delicate, peppery flavor or baby arugula works beautifully in this roasted beet salad. Spring greens or other tender fresh greens can be used as well.

Pan Roasting vs. Oven Roasting the beets

I like to pan roast the beets for this roasted beet salad because I feel they retain more moisture. Oven roasting certainly works as well if you prefer, and I’ve included suggestions for that in the Recipe Notes following the recipe.

This Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarins, Goat Cheese and Arugula is full of bright colors and flavors. The sweet beets, tangy goat cheese and velvety vinaigrette are so delicious together! It’s a treat any time of year, and it’s really easy to increase or decrease the recipe if needed.

When determining the amount of beets to use, I generally estimate ½ – 1 cup of roasted beets per person depending on what else I’m serving,

Keep in mind that the quantity of beets referenced in the recipe (2 – 3 medium red beets = about 1 lb. = about 3 cups chopped) cooks down to about 2 cups.

If you happen to have more beets than needed, just refrigerate any extras in an air tight container for up to two days, and enjoy them later as a cold or reheated side.

Enjoy!

5 from 3 votes

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Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarins, Goat Cheese and Arugula

This Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarins, Goat Cheese and Arugula is full of bright colors and flavors. It’s a treat any time of year, and it’s really easy to increase or decrease the recipe if needed.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 2 - 4

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 2 - 3 medium red beets - skin-on, chopped (about 1 lb. = 3 cups chopped)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil - or more if needed
• 2 Tbsp. water or mandarin juice
• 1, 15 oz. can Dole Mandarin Oranges drained, liquid reserved for another recipe
• 4 big handfuls of fresh arugula and/or spring mix greens + more, to taste
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese (about 2 - 4 oz.) + more, to taste

For the Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar and/or Mandarin liquid*
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• A pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 small shallot halved and thinly sliced (roughly ¼ cup)

Instructions

1. Scrub and trim beets, and chop them into bite sized pieces.

2. Place chopped beets in a large, covered pan along with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. water. Lightly season with salt and pepper and toss well to make sure the beets are coated with oil and seasoning. Cook over medium heat for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning, until beets are fork tender.

3. When beets are cooked, remove from the pan and allow to come to room temperature. Place them in the refrigerator to cool down more quickly if needed.

4. For the vinaigrette: Measure the Dijon, white wine vinegar (and/or Mandarin liquid), honey and olive oil in a small bowl, and whisk to combine.

5. Add the sliced shallots to the vinaigrette, and stir well. Allow the shallots to "marinate" in the vinaigrette for 15 minutes or so, and stir again. Toss the vinaigrette with arugula/greens. (See Cook’s Notes below about using the vinaigrette for “quick pickled” beets.)

6. To serve: Plate dressed greens. Using a spoon, sprinkle red beets on top of the greens. If using other, lighter colored beets, sprinkle those on top of the red beets to avoid staining. Finish with segments of Mandarin orange and “crumbles” of goat cheese – as much as you like – and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• If you use multiple varieties of beets, make sure to roast them separately or the red/darker ones will “bleed” all over the others.
• Directions are for pan roasting, but beets can also be roasted in the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss chopped beets with olive oil and scatter the pieces evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 - 30 minutes, or until fork tender.
• For the Vinaigrette, red wine vinegar can also be used. For subtler flavors, substitute some of the Mandarin liquid for vinegar.
• The vinaigrette can also be used to "quick pickle" the beets. Place beets in a glass jar or bowl, add the vinaigrette and let sit at room temp for an hour or two before assembling the salad, and then layer the dressed beets on top of fresh greens. You can also marinate the beets overnight in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to really set. Keep in mind that red beets will color all other ingredients, so “pickle” lighter colored beets separately if using.

If you love roasted beets, try my recipe for

Roasted Salmon Tacos with Golden Beets and Black Grape Sauce .

The tacos are fun, and the ingredients make a wonderful side or dinner salad as well!

If you make this Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarins, Goat Cheese and Arugula recipe… Let me know!

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