This beet salad is full of red and yellow beets, avocado, feta cheese and pecans, all tossed with greens in a homemade balsamic dressing. An easy and beautiful salad that’s perfect for the winter and fall months.
I love a hearty and colorful salad such as Chinese chicken salad, green bean salad and this fresh and totally delicious salad that features roasted beets.
In my opinion, beets are an underrated vegetable. They’re inexpensive, available year round and are loaded with nutrients. This beet salad combines this sweet and earthy veggie with ripe avocado, crumbled feta cheese and pecans, for a salad that’s full of flavor and texture.
How do you make beet salad?
This salad starts with roasted beets, which are cut into wedges and go in a bowl along with lettuce, avocado, feta cheese and pecans. A homemade balsamic dressing is drizzled over the salad, then everything is tossed together until the ingredients are well combined. Serve your salad immediately, and enjoy!
How to roast beets
Roasting beets is surprisingly easy. Grab your favorite variety of beets. You can use yellow or red beets, or both. Prepare the beets for the oven by trimming off any beet greens and by slicing off the top of the beets. Then trim off any root ends. Wrap the beets in foil in groups of 2 or 3. Be sure to separate the red beets from the yellow beets. Place the foil packets of beets on a sheet pan so that they are easier to put in and remove from the oven. The beets bake for 60 minutes at 400 degrees F. The beets are done when they are tender and cooked all the way through. Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool. Use a paper towel to rub the skins off the beets, then you’re ready to enjoy this delicious root vegetable.
Tips for beet salad
- Use multiple colors of beets for a fancier presentation.
- This tasty balsamic dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
- Cut up a block of feta for your salad. Blocks of feta taste better than pre-crumbled feta cheese.
- Make sure to choose a firm, yet ripe avocado so that it doesn’t get mushy in the salad.
- This beet salad is best served immediately, so make it and enjoy it right away.
Beet salad variations
This salad is delicious as-is, but you can switch up the ingredients to feature other great flavors.
- Nuts: Try almonds, walnuts or pine nuts instead of pecans.
- Lettuce: You can use baby kale or spinach instead of mixed greens.
- Cheese: Feel free to use goat cheese, blue cheese or shaved Parmesan cheese instead of feta cheese.
- Other Flavors: You can add other ingredients to the salad such as dried cranberries, thinly sliced red onion, roasted asparagus or cherry tomatoes.
- Protein: Make this salad a meal by adding beans, grilled chicken or shrimp on top.
Are beets healthy?
Beets are very healthy and contain potassium, manganese and folate as well as vitamins A, B6, C and K. They are low calorie and thought to be good for the heart and have anti-inflammatory properties. Beets are also high in fiber which can help with digestion. So go ahead and enjoy some beets!
This beet salad is light and refreshing yet packed with flavorful and hearty ingredients. It is a great side salad, or you can add some protein and eat it as a lunch or dinner.
More great salad recipes
- Caprese Salad
- Arugula Salad with White Beans
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
Beet Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 6 cups mixed spring greens
- 1 1/2 pounds beets red, yellow or a combination of the two, look for small to medium sized beets
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Scrub the beets clean and trim the stem and root ends.
- Place 2-3 beets of the same color on a large sheet of foil. Wrap the beets tightly in foil. Repeat with any remaining beets. Be sure to separate the red beets from the yellow beets.
- Place the foil wrapped beets on a sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour or until beets are tender.
- Unwrap the beets and let them cool for 10-15 minutes. Use a paper towel to gently rub the skins off the beets.
- Cut the beets into 1 inch pieces. Cool the beets completely.
- Place the mixed greens, beets, avocado, feta cheese and pecans in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Drizzle the dressing over the beet mixture, gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Candi says
This is an Awesome and Healthy Salad with one of the best dressings also. I will substitute this dressing in other salads I have made with sub par dressing recipes.
I paired it with grilled Salmon.
Melanie says
I got some beets in a box of produce and not sure what to do with them. So I made this recipe and it was awesome!
Rose says
This is my top 5 favorite recipe for a salad! And I eat alot of different salads! I love the dressing so much but if I make it for my family I would have to leave out the olive oil. Do you know if its possible to substitute the oil with something else?
Devlyn Putsey says
I use grapeseed oil. It is bland so rest of ingredients shine. I often odd finely minced garlic and shallots.
Bea says
We loved this delicious salad! So yummy! Can’t wait to make it again!
Sandra says
I love the combination of these flavors! Such a fabulous salad!
Catalina says
All these flavors in this salad! Love how it looks!
jade manning says
This looks so refreshing and delicious!
Becky Hardin says
The perfect lunch idea. So delicious.
Beth says
We can’t wait to make this again! Loved the combination of beets and avocado together!
Lora says
One of my favorite ways to enjoy beets is in a salad…this recipe is super!
Demeter says
I have an obsession with beets so this is perfect for me!! The dressing really puts it over the top.
Katie says
This was a super fun side to my potluck last week. It was a hit!
Rachael Yerkes says
best salad ever!
Betsy says
Savory and sweet! My family loves this salad! Great, good, flavor!
Suzy says
We love beets! Throwing them in a salad was the perfect way to use them up!