Marinated Beet Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Andrew Carmellini

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Marinated Beet Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour, plus cooling and marinating
Rating
4(1,097)
Notes
Read community notes

It's easy to make a pretty good beet salad, but this one makes the leap into greatness. After decades of kitchen experiments, the chef and beet maven Andrew Carmellini shared how to elevate both elements: marinate the beets, then season and whip the goat cheese.Feel free to cook the beets on a grill instead of in the oven if you've got a fire going. Young beets, juicy and tender enough to bite into, can be used instead of the thick-skinned, mature kind. But do not roast: Steam them just until tender. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: Think Beet and Goat Cheese Salad is a Cliché? A New Recipe Proves It’s a Classic

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

    For the Beets

    • 8 to 10medium-large beets (see note)
    • 2tablespoons minced shallots
    • 3tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste
    • 2tablespoons rich, sweet vinegar like Barolo, balsamic or sherry
    • Salt and ground black pepper
    • ¼cup shelled nuts, like pistachios, walnuts or pecans (optional)
    • 1cup loosely packed whole herb leaves (like parsley, mint or cilantro) or 2 cups small salad greens (like baby spinach, baby arugula or mâche), or use a mixture or herbs and greens

    For the Goat Cheese

    • ¼cup fresh goat cheese
    • 1tablespoon olive oil
    • 2tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
    • ½teaspoon rice or white wine vinegar, plus more to taste
    • ½teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
    • ¼teaspoon salt, more to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

194 calories; 13 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 381 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Marinated Beet Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Prepare the beets: Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Place a sheet pan underneath to catch any drips from the beets.

  2. Step

    2

    Trim the greens, tops and stems from the beets. Wash thoroughly and wrap in aluminum foil packages, about 4 beets per package. Place the packages directly on the oven rack and bake until beets are easily pierced by a fork or knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on size. (No need to unwrap the beets to test them.)

  3. Step

    3

    Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine shallots, oil, vinegar and a lavish sprinkling of salt and pepper. Set aside.

  4. Remove beets from oven and carefully open packages to let the steam escape. Let cool at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours.

  5. Step

    5

    Unwrap beets and use a peeler or your fingers to remove any tough skin. Dice beets neatly into bite-size pieces. Add to bowl with shallot mixture, mix well and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Stir occasionally.

  6. Step

    6

    Meanwhile, in a toaster oven or 350-degree oven, toast nuts until golden, about 5 minutes. If unsalted, sprinkle with salt. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

  7. Step

    7

    Prepare the goat cheese: In a bowl, mix or whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Keep whipping until cheese is fluffy and soft. Taste and season with additional vinegar and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  8. Step

    8

    To serve, pile beets on a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon remaining dressing over the top. Spoon dollops of goat cheese mixture on and around the beets, then tuck in herbs and/or greens. Sprinkle with nuts and serve immediately.

Tip

  • It's nice to use multicolored beets, but keep in mind that magenta beets will dye the others to match as soon as they are combined. The best solution is to use just a couple of colors, and marinate them separately until time to serve.

Ratings

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1,097

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

famharris

My family adores beets and as so I cook with them often but early beets on greens is our favorite go-to. I love the combination here with the vinegar and cream in the goat cheese; I usually just use it plain. And who doesn't love pistachios? You can speed this up by peeling the beets with a potato peeler before you roast them (also lessens the stains on your fingers) and if I'm in a real time crunch I'll dice them too and that cuts the roasting time in half. Enjoy!

Lori

I am curious why others don't peel and slice the beets before roasting them. It's a bit messy, but the beets get a little caramelized, which is delicious.

A

I roast beets often and it seems that 45-60 minutes is seldom sufficient. Just my experience.

Also, I find that Kenji Lopez-Alt's advice is helpful. He suggests making a pouch of foil, tucking in the beets, olive oil and herbs, and then roasting. The results are impressive.

eileen

Did you mean 1/2 cup of goat cheese?

Kws

Trader Joe’s has remarkably good cooked, peeled beets. Vacuum packed. Just sayin

richard

recipe editors! what is a medium large beet? recipe calls for 8-10 of these which with todays supermarket produce is a truckload by weight. Even the video of the cooking of this recipe showed only four modestly sized beets.

Rita

Easier to cook the beets first and, after they cool, the skins will slide off easily.

Randy

The reason this is such a classic combination is the interplay between the earthy sweetness of the beets and the musky tartness of the goat cheese. It would be impossible to replicate the goat cheese complexity but you could come close with 4 OZ of good fresh ricotta (not the junk in supermarket tubs) and 4 TBL of good Feta with a larger dose of vinegar for the extra tang (adjusted to your taste...perhaps as much as 1 TBL) plus the other recipe ingredients. Lots of fresh ground pepper is a must.

Sandy W.

peeling and dicing the beets in advance is a real time saver - do the hard work at the front end of the project.

I baked them in foil packets for 45-60 min and they were perfectly fork ready.

As an option, I think roasting the beets and giving them a little char will add a nice flavor element.

I skipped the nuts, knowing my husband wouldn't like them.

We're a two person household, so I just used two large beets and it was enough to feed us a for dinner. Loved it!!

Jay S

Make beets frequently; tried other methods but always go back to stovetop pressure cooker. Whole beers unpeeled 20 minutes and done. Skins slip off. Never understand how peeling before is less messy with beets.

Ferguson

weights would help here. Different times of year the beets come in different sizes. Also goat cheese is much easier to weigh than measure by volume.

Scott

use plain yogurt instead of heavy cream, 10x more delicious.

Jenny

Honestly, I'd be worried about stains in case a hungry partygoer dropped one....

Bonnie

Loved this salad and especially the mix of herbs on top!! One word of warning, the Balsamic vinegar will turn the golden beets slightly dark, so if you want them to be bright orange, use only the white wine vinegar in their marinate.

yaya

Make your life 200x easier and buy precooked beets (love beets brand is perfect). They come in the package cooked and ready to slice and dice.

Susan P

The dressing is excellent! I even used it on canned beets and it made them taste so much better. Don't judge.

a

Delicious, only would suggest roughly chopping greens if not small, and put on plate first. Mint added nice touch.

Sarah

I used, gasp!, canned beets for this. For shame. The flavors are all bold enough that I didn’t think it detracted, and turns this into a weeknight wonder.

jsg

Great recipe! Have to confess that, while I followed ingredients as written, it was a hectic evening and letting them marinate for 30 minutes wasn’t possible. The beets were still warm and despite no time to marinate, it was awesome!

Toni

Add cumin

Edith L

I made this recipe twice and it is a keeper. I buy the cooked beets from the produce section and this comes together easily. Love the whipped goat cheese. A family favorite,

Delicious!

I steamed the beets, golden ones, then cooled and peeled the skins. I used extra shallots and as one reader suggested yogurt with the balsamic vinegar. This was an excellent salad.

debbie

This was amazing! Used 3 small beets steamed and peeled. Everything else as written

JH

It's really worth 5*s! Every time I make it, people ask for the recipe or to bring it to their house when we're over. BUT- it's too long to roast the beets, so I boil 2 pots- one for orange and one for red beets, skin on. Skin pushes off once their room temp and it's a lot quicker. I use 1/2 cup of goat cheese. Yum!

Teresa

I added a touch of honey to the whipped goat cheese. Delicious!

Laurel

Microwave peeled and diced beets and 1/3 cup water for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cover the bowl.

Katherine

Made as written. Would like a weight on the beets (and I forgot). Steamed beets fresh out of the garden. Everything balanced perfectly - still had the earthy beet flavor underneath the marinade and the goat cheese was smooth and subtle. A keeper.

Lauren

The flavors were balanced and delicious. I followed another reviewer’s lead and pressure cooked my beets, which made it very easy to slide off the skins. If I had time to roast, I would have, and I can see how that would impart a lovely flavor as well. I will say that 8 medium/large beets is too many. If you have large beets, you could probably be fine with 6. We were struggling to eat all the leftovers.

Alex Ma'Re

This recipe is great! I marinated the beets a couple days ahead and it turned out beautifully. I didn't whip the goat cheese, instead I just crumbled it over for I was in a rush and it still turned out great.

Catherine Dean

This is our family go-to for beet salads. I roast whole beets unpeeled in foil; 400 degrees for and hour and 15 min. This is for beets that are about 3" in diameter. After they cool I put on my nitrile gloves; keep a box under the sink so that I don't stain my hands. The skin literally rubs off. Then I dice and mix with shallots, etc. I am vegetarian, so never have cow's milk in the house and find that whipping the goat cheese with Ripple works just fine.

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Marinated Beet Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What wine goes with beet and goat cheese salad? ›

Sancerre, a French wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, would be an excellent pairing for this salad. Its high acidity and citrus notes would complement the tangy goat cheese and balance the sweetness of the beets.

How to make beet root salad? ›

Directions. Stir grated beets, vinegar, oil, parsley, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Serve immediately or for best results, refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

What wine goes with beetroot? ›

The rich sweet and earthy flavours of a beetroot risotto call for a light-bodied red wine such as Pinot Noir. A beetroot dip or hummus is a great addition to any mezze spread - try serving a fruity rosé such as Woodchester Valley's Pinot Rosé or Babylonstoren's Mourvedre Rosé.

What flavors go well with goat cheese? ›

A milder fresh goat cheese will go perfectly with a sweet conserve, such as fig or raspberry. A cheese with a more pronounced flavour such as Ripened goat log will taste great alongside black cherry or blueberry conserves.

Is goat cheese good with white or red wine? ›

Although there are no rules set in stone about pairing wine and cheese, there are some guidelines to follow as well as classic pairings. Think crisp Sauvignon Blanc paired with fresh goat cheese, Cabernet Sauvignon with an aged cheddar or a Port paired with Stilton.

Why do you put vinegar in beets? ›

Beets are a weekly ritual around here. Usually we boil them and toss them in a sweet sour vinaigrette and keep them in the refrigerator to eat all week. The vinegar in the dressing "pickles" the beets, helping them last longer in the fridge.

Do you have to peel beets for salad? ›

They can be roasted, boiled or steamed, and even eaten raw — thinly sliced or shredded beets add an interesting crunch to salads. Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling.

What Flavours compliment beetroot? ›

Oranges, berries, melons, apples, pineapple, grapes, and kiwi all combine exceptionally with beet juice. The sweet and tart notes from these fruits complement the earthy vegetable flavor. Blending fruit into beetroot juice helps mellow out the intense earthy taste.

What makes beetroot taste better? ›

Try marinating them with citrus zest, garlic, scallion, vinegar, and again, plenty of salt. "Beets need a sharp, strong note," he explains, to both counteract and complement their muted, dirt-like undertones.

What should you not take with beetroot? ›

Beetroot juice is rich in nitrates, which might negatively interact with certain blood pressure-lowering medicines, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.

What wine goes with goat's cheese? ›

Goats' cheese and feta are examples of young, white cheeses that are generally best suited to crisp dry whites, with Sauvignon Blanc providing a great starting point.

Does Pinot Grigio go with goat cheese? ›

Pairing Pinot Grigio and Cheese

For instance, fresh cheese—think goat cheese, mozzarella or feta—is a great pairing because the acid cuts through the fat and makes your mouth water, providing a palate-cleansing effect.”

Does goat cheese pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon? ›

Young, soft goat cheeses, often labeled as chèvre. These are notoriously tangy with a high acidity level and because of that, they over-accentuate the cabernet's alcohol. The only exception are those with dried herbs or an herb crust—they can pair with the herbaceous notes in a young, elegant cabernet or Bordeaux.

What wine goes with beet borscht? ›

Beetroot Soup needs bright fruit (cherry/raspberry/strawberry) to pick up on the soups's sweetness. Food friendly and fruity wines like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or Dolcetto will do the job.

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