Beet Salad: Best Cheese Pairings And Recipes

Beet salads are a great way to showcase the rich flavours and colours of beets. A popular choice for a beet salad is to pair it with goat cheese, which adds a creamy texture and tangy flavour to the dish. Other cheeses that go well with beets include feta, ricotta, and Greek feta. Toasted walnuts or pine nuts are often added for extra crunch, and a vinaigrette dressing can bring the whole salad together.

Goat Cheese

When preparing a beet salad with goat cheese, it is important to consider the presentation. Dressing the greens just before serving helps to maintain their freshness and prevent sogginess. Placing the beets on top of the salad, rather than mixing them in, avoids discolouration of the other ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Beets (red or golden)
• Goat cheese
• Mixed greens
• Walnuts
• Honey
• Dijon mustard
• Red wine vinegar
• Shallots
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Wrap each beet in aluminium foil and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Roast the beets for 40-90 minutes, or until soft and fork-tender.
• Let the beets cool, then peel the skins and cut them into wedges or cubes.
• In a small bowl, combine honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt, and pepper. Whisk together while slowly adding the oil.
• Place the mixed greens in a large bowl and drizzle with the vinaigrette, tossing to combine.
• Arrange the greens on a platter or divide them onto plates.
• Top with beets, walnuts, and crumbled goat cheese.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Feta Cheese

One beet salad recipe with feta cheese includes roasted beets, a lemon vinaigrette, sliced red onions, and feta cheese. To make this, preheat your oven to 400°F, wrap each beet in foil with a teaspoon of olive oil, and roast for 60-65 minutes. Once the beets are cool, peel and cut them into one-inch cubes, then add the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, tossing gently. Add the onions and feta cheese before serving.

Another beet salad recipe with feta cheese includes roasted beets, shallots, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar. To make this, preheat your oven to 400°F, wrap each beet in foil, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour. Peel and slice the beets, then add the vinaigrette and sprinkle with feta cheese.

You can also add feta cheese to a beet salad with goat cheese. This salad includes roasted beets, a honey-dijon vinaigrette, walnuts, and goat cheese. To make this salad, simply swap out the goat cheese for crumbled feta.

Blue Cheese

Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

For a simple yet tasty option, combine blue cheese with walnuts. The walnuts will add a satisfying crunch and nutty flavour to the salad. You can also add some baby greens, such as arugula or spring mix, to serve as the base of the salad. For a more indulgent option, you can candy the walnuts in maple syrup.

Beet Salad with Blue Cheese, Fruits and Nuts

For a more complex salad, you can add fruits and nuts to your beet salad with blue cheese. Try roasting pears, beets, and onions with a touch of rosemary. The sweetness of the pears will play with the saltiness of the blue cheese, and the balsamic vinegar will add a tangy flavour. For the nuts, you can use pine nuts, or substitute them for walnuts, pecans, or almonds.

Beet Salad with Blue Cheese and Vinaigrette

A vinaigrette can add a tangy flavour to your beet salad with blue cheese. You can make a basic vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar. For a honey-dijon vinaigrette, combine honey, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt, and pepper.

Pine Nuts

If you're looking for a more substantial salad, pine nuts can be added to a beet salad that includes other ingredients such as arugula, spinach, or mixed greens. The pine nuts will provide a nice crunch and flavour to complement the other ingredients.

Additionally, pine nuts can be combined with different types of cheese in a beet salad. Goat cheese is a popular choice, as it adds a creamy texture and tangy flavour. Feta cheese is also an option, providing a salty contrast to the sweetness of the beets.

So, whether you're looking for a simple side dish or a more robust salad, pine nuts are a great ingredient to include in your beet salad creations.

Walnuts

When preparing walnuts for a beet salad, it is common to toast them beforehand. This can be done by spreading the nuts on a baking sheet and toasting them in the oven for around 4-5 minutes at 350° F. After toasting, let the walnuts cool down before roughly chopping them.

In terms of quantity, a typical beet salad recipe might call for 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, or around 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts.

Beet and walnut salad is a simple and quick dish that can be paired with a vinaigrette made from olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It makes for a tasty side to any main course.

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