Roasted Beet Salad with Mandarins, Goat Cheese and Arugula
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
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Scrub and trim beets, and chop them into bite sized pieces.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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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.