Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

This roasted beet and arugula salad with maple balsamic vinaigrette, pecans, goat cheese, and dried cranberries is so flavorful and hearty. It’s one of those recipes that’ll have even the biggest beet naysayer reaching for another portion!

You’re looking at one of my all-time favorite salad recipe to enjoy year round!

This Arugula Beet Salad features two of my favorite vegetables: juicy sweet red beets and peppery arugula.

While beets taste the sweetest when they are in season during the mid-summer through late fall, they are easy to find at the grocery store throughout the whole year.

Major bonus: Beets are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Plus, they’re naturally anti-inflammatory, and they’re even a great source of fiber!

This fancy-feeling Arugula Beet Salad combines perfectly roasted beets with fresh arugula, creamy goat cheese, maple candied pecans, sweet dried cranberries, and a mouthwatering homemade easy balsamic dressing.

The beets are incredibly juicy and filling, making this salad feel like a main course all by itself! Toasted maple pecans and dried cranberries add warmth, sweetness and a satisfying crunch, and the arugula adds a whole lot of peppery freshness. 

Ready to dive in? Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this unique and delicious beet goat cheese salad!

Ingredients for Arugula Beet Salad

Baby Arugula: Fresh and peppery, arugula is such an underrated salad leaf. The slightly bitter flavor complements the sweeter beets beautifully!

Beets: Red beets are high in folate, manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium, vitamin C, iron, and vitamin B6. Basically, they are nutritional powerhouses! And we’ll be roasting them to bring out their gorgeously caramelized sweetness! Use golden beets if you prefer.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar: A classic duo that forms the base of our maple balsamic vinaigrette. 

Pure Maple Syrup: One of the key flavors in this roasted beet arugula salad. It’s the hero ingredient in both the vinaigrette and the maple-toasted pecans. It infuses the whole dish with a gentle yet complex sweetness that’s addictively good.

Ground Cinnamon: The light heat of cinnamon complements the subtle maple syrup. Imagine a sticky cinnamon bun, but in salad dressing form!

Stone Ground Mustard: Adds a rustic warmth to the maple balsamic dressing. Use Dijon mustard instead if you’d like.

Raw Pecans: Toast them up with maple syrup and ground cinnamon to create crunchy, candied flavor bombs!

Avocado Oil: This oil is perfect for making our maple toasted pecans because it has a high smoke point and neutral flavor. 

Sea Salt: A pinch of salt complements and enhances the sweetness of our candied pecans. 

Goat’s Cheese: Rich and tangy – perfect for crumbling over your salad!

Dried Cranberries: A handful of dried cranberries brings a punchy tartness that completes the flavor profile.

Fresh Cracked Pepper: Add black pepper to taste!

Recipe Customizations

• Add an animal protein to the salad to make it a more filling, complete meal. Honey Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs, rotisserie chicken and My Go-To Crispy Salmon are great options!
• This recipe works whether your beets are warm or cold. This allows you to roast the beets a day or two in advance, saving time on the day.
• Feta cheese or gorgonzola cheese is an easy substitute for goat’s cheese.
• Swap out the balsamic vinegar for apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
• Use baby spinach or spring greens instead of arugula if you prefer.
• Buy pre-cooked beets from the grocery store to save time.
• Use your favorite nut or seed, like crunchy walnuts, crunchy pistachios, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
• Add roasted sweet potatoes or use them in lieu of beets.

How to Roast Beets

1. Option 1: Roast your beet like you would a potato! Poke it with a fork, then wrap it in foil and roast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 90 minutes, until fork tender.
2. Option 2: This is my preferred method. Chop the beets into wedges using a sharp knife, then wrap the wedges in an aluminum foil packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Both methods will taste the same, but one is twice as quick as the other!

How to Make Roasted Beet Arugula Salad

Begin by roasting the beets using your preferred method (see above!).

While the beets are roasting, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and ground cinnamon to form your vinaigrette. 

Next, toast the pecans in a skillet with avocado oil, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and sea salt over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to prevent burning, and remove the nuts when they become toasted and sticky.

Add the baby arugula to a large bowl and toss in the vinaigrette.

Follow this with the beets, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. 

Give everything a good mix to coat in the dressing, then serve!

For a beautiful presentation, lay out the dressed arugula on a serving platter and arrange the rest of the ingredients on top.

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. While beets are hearty enough to store for up to 1 week, the arugula begins to wilt fairly quickly.

Recipe Tips

1. Roast the beets ahead of time to allow them to cool. They can be roasted up to 5 days in advance.
2. Toss in any of your favorite vegetables. Avocado, carrots, cucumbers, and sprouts are amazing additions.
3. Be careful to use a surface you don’t mind staining when chopping the beets (an old cutting board works great). Use gloves if you don’t want your hands to be stained red for a few hours.

This wholesome and filling beet and arugula salad is one of my go-to recipes during beet season. Let me know in the comments if you give it a try!

The perfect side dish for beat lovers, I’m willing to bet your whole family will love this beautiful salad! I see it as the perfect salad for a dinner party when you’re looking for a gorgeous side dish that also tastes amazing.

Can’t get enough of this roasted beet arugula salad? Here are five more fabulous recipes that use beetroot!

More Beet Recipes:

• Roasted Beet Salad with Whipped Ricotta and Citrus Dressing
• Roasted Beet and Herbed Vegan Ricotta Crostini
• Beet Pesto Pizza with Kale and Goat Cheese
• Broccoli Beet and Kale Brown Rice Bowls with Pesto
• Roasted Beet and Garlic Hummus

Arugula Beet Salad Recipe

4.72 from 50 votes

Roasted beet arugula salad with pecans and goat cheese is an amazing healthy side salad or entrée salad recipe. Add protein to make it a main dish, or leave it as is for in impressive side dish for entertaining guests!

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Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 10 ounces baby arugula
• 3 large beets peeled and roasted

For the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Maple Toasted Pecans:

• 1 cup raw pecans
• 2 tsp avocado oil
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

For Serving:

• 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles or feta cheese
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries juice-sweetened recommended
• Fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

Roast the Beets:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the beets and wrap each in aluminum foil. Place beets on a baking sheet and roast until very soft when poked with a fork, about 90 minutes. Allow beets to cool enough to handle. Unwrap them from the foil, peel them using a potato peeler or paring knife, and chop them into wedges.

Make the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• Add all ingredients for the vinaigrette to a small blender and blend until smooth.

Toast the Pecans:

• Add the ingredients for the maple toasted pecans to a small skillet and heat over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pure maple syrup comes to a full boil, begins to burn off, and the nuts become toasted and sticky. Be careful to keep a watchful eye on the nuts, and constantly stir to avoid burning them!

Prepare the salad:

• Add the arugula to a large serving bowl and toss in desired amount of Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette.
• Serve salad with roasted beet wedges, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and goat cheese.

Notes

You can serve this salad with warm roasted beets or put them in the refrigerator and chill them until cold.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving · Calories: 411kcal · Carbohydrates: 39g · Protein: 7g · Fat: 28g · Fiber: 6g · Sugar: 29g

Author: Julia

Course: Side Dishes & Snacks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: arugula, beets, fruit salad, vegetarian

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