Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Imagine ruby red beets and tangy goat cheese, flavored with orange zest and fresh tarragon, layered on crispy slices of toasted bread and sprinkled with walnuts. Beet bruschetta with orange tarragon goat cheese are irresistible!
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: small food processor
Servings: makes 12 appetizers
Best way to Enjoy Beets
I love the amazingly sweet, yet earthy flavor of beets! It goes so well with the creaminess and tangy flavor of goat cheese in this appetizer recipe. The orange juice and zest, along with the subtle licorice flavor of tarragon, add more levels of flavor to these beet bruschetta, topped with crunchy walnuts.
Beet bruschetta are the best finger food. They’re almost like a salad on toast, minus the leafy greens. It’s like enjoying all the yummy salad toppings without the salad. Let’s just forget the salad idea and enjoy these delicious beet appetizers!
(Still thinking about that beet salad? Try this salad with beets and feta or asparagus ribbon salad with beets and burrata. I also love this warm kale salad with roasted root vegetables.)
How To Make beet bruschetta
Get a head start. Much of the preparation for beet bruschetta can be done ahead of time which makes this recipe an ideal appetizer. You can do most of the prep work a couple days in advance and then just assemble them right before serving.
Make the toasted bread slices. Here’s a guide to help you learn how to make crostini. They can be prepped ahead of time, cooled completely, and stored in a resealable bag.
Prepare the beets. You can also do this a day or two ahead of time if you like. There are a few easy ways to prepare beets or you can buy pre-cooked beets. Air fryer beets are the fastest way to go; oven roasted beets are another easy option; or learn how to boil beets which will give you the most tender beets.
Mix up the goat cheese spread. I use a log of goat cheese, and add orange juice and honey. I whip it up in a small food processor until it’s nice and creamy. Stir in orange zest and chopped tarragon. You can store this mixture in the refrigerator a couple of days. Let it soften a bit at room temperature and give it a good stir before spreading it on the toasts.
Assemble. When you’re ready to serve your bruschetta/crostini, simply spread the goat cheese on the toasted bread slices, add a few chopped beets, and garnish with walnuts (toasted or raw) and a little more orange zest or fresh tarragon. Voila! For a special occasion, serve the crostini with this grapefruit and elderflower cocktail.
Pro Tip
Don’t assemble the beet crostini too far in advance because the beets will turn the goat cheese sort of a neon pink (which is kind of cool, but not that appetizing).
Recipe Variations
- Cheese shortcut: To simplify, use a pre-made goat cheese spread or your favorite cream cheese spread.
- Use a different citrus. Mix the plain goat cheese with lemon juice and zest, with a bit more honey to counter balance the tartness of the lemon. Experiment with clementine, blood orange, grapefruit or lime if you like.
- Try different herbs such as thyme, basil, or chives.
- Nut choices (or nut-free): Omit the walnuts. Substitute candied bourbon pecans, hazelnuts, roasted almonds, or pistachios. Toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds are great nut-free choices.
- Make a salad instead. Mix your favorite greens (arugula, baby kale, spinach, etc) with this easy honey Dijon vinaigrette and top the salad with the beets, walnuts, goat cheese, and orange zest.
Recommended Tools
- Mini Food Processor
- Mini Spatula for scraping out food processor
More Appetizer Recipes
Beet Bruschetta with Orange Tarragon Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette (made into crostini, see note)
- 1 cup diced cooked beets (1 medium beet)
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 4 teaspoons orange juice (zest the orange first!)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon orange zest (plus extra for garnish)
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon (plus extra for garnish)
- ¼ cup toasted chopped walnuts (see note)
Instructions
- In a small food processor, whip the goat cheese with honey and orange juice. Scrape into small bowl and stir in orange zest and tarragon.4 ounces goat cheese, 4 teaspoons orange juice, 2 teaspoons honey, ½ teaspoon orange zest, ½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
- Dice the beet into ½-inch cubes. You should have about 1 cup.1 cup diced cooked beets
- To assemble crostini, spread approximately 1 tablespoon goat cheese mixture onto toasted bread slices. Sprinkle with beets and walnuts.
- Garnish with additional orange zest and chopped tarragon, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Crostini: You can easily make your own crostini (3 ways) with a fresh baguette. This can be done ahead if you want. Crostini can also be purchased.
- Prepping the beets: Beets can be air fried, roasted, or boiled, whichever you prefer. You can also purchase pre-cooked beets (not pickled).
- Toasted walnuts: Toasting the walnuts really enhances their flavor and it’s easy to do. Learn how to toast walnuts (and other nuts, too). There are 3 easy methods.
- Variations: Use softened cream cheese or a cream cheese spread instead of goat cheese, if you prefer. I like to drizzle the beet bruschetta with a little extra honey after assembling them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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