Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This beautiful salad with beets and feta is topped with crunchy almonds and a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. Most of it can be prepped ahead so the salad is easy to throw together.
How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: small jar or bowl, whisk
Servings: 1 (but it’s easy to make as many as you like)
Delicious Beet Salad
My first taste of this salad was at my mom’s house. The almonds she used? My olive oil roasted almonds. The beets she used? She used my method of roasting beets. The dressing was a twist on the dressing I used on my asparagus ribbon salad.
Now, I’m certainly not taking credit for this salad! It’s the ultimate compliment that my mom makes my recipes and I am definitely giving her credit for this delicious salad. I love the combination of the earthy greens and beets with the salty feta and crunchy almonds. It’s dreamy.
Salad With Beets and Feta
This salad may seem complicated at first glance but the beauty of it is that most of it is made in advance.
Cook the beets ahead of time. I’ve been trying to do more meal prep on the weekends, and one of the things I’ve been doing is cooking beets. They take quite a long time to cook, no matter which method you choose, but they’re very hands-off. They peel easily once they are cooked. Cool the beets until you can handle them and then rub the skins right off. Give them a quick rinse if necessary to remove any shreds of skin. Store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Roast the almonds ahead. The almonds roast really quickly and will keep for weeks in the fridge.
Make the vinaigrette. I’ve also been known to keep a jar of homemade salad dressing, like this white wine vinaigrette, in the refrigerator but even if you don’t do that, this salad is crazy easy to throw together.
“This was amazing! So easy to make but tasted like a fancy restaurant salad. Will make again and again and again!”
Ingredient Notes
- Beets: Figure on one roasted beet per serving. Beets vary widely in size so use your own judgment. Golden beets are really good on this salad, too.
- Mixed Greens: Pretty much anything goes when it comes to greens. Use your favorite. I like spring greens but baby spinach is super good, too.
- Roasted Almonds: Again, use whatever kind of nuts or seeds you prefer or happen to have in the house. I love the almonds as a snack so I almost always have them in the house. Toasted pecans or toasted walnuts are perfect, too.
- Feta Cheese: Use full fat for best flavor. Looking for alternatives? Try goat cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola.
- Vinaigrette Dressing: The dressing is a simple recipe with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Use canned beets. If you really want to speed things up, use canned beets (regular, not pickled). Vacuum-packed beets are also available. You can also grate raw beets and add them to the salad but I really prefer to roast them first because they are sweeter and more flavorful.
- Try air fryer roasted beets. Lately, I’ve been making air fryer beets. Cube the beets (you don’t even have to peel them), toss them in a bit of oil, salt, and pepper, and air fry them. They take about 25 minutes, depending on how large you cubed them. They are chewy and totally delicious, and add a different vibe to this salad.
- Try a different root vegetable. If beets really aren’t your thing, try substituting roasted radishes, roasted turnips, roasted sweet potatoes, or roasted carrots. Different, but still delicious.
Roast the beets. Once they’re roasted and peeled, refrigerate the beets in a tightly covered container for five to seven days. They can be frozen for up to a year. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Roast the almonds. Keep a jar of roasted almonds in your fridge. They’re good for at least a month, and roasted almonds are great on salads or as a quick snack.
Make the vinaigrette. This versatile vinaigrette practically lives in my refrigerator. It’s one of our favorite salad dressings! The vinaigrette can be made a couple of days in advance. If the olive oil congeals, let the dressing sit on the counter for ten minutes or so to warm up. Shake well before using.
Increase the recipe
To make enough vinaigrette for 4 servings, I’ve done the math for you. Here’s what you’ll need: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1½ teaspoons honey, salt and pepper to taste.
More Salad Recipes
Salad with Beets and Feta
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 cup spring mix greens (any type of greens can be used)
- 1 tablespoon roasted almonds (other nuts can be used)
- ⅛ cup crumbled feta (goat cheese, gorgonzola, or blue cheese are good choices, too)
- 1 small roasted beet
Dressing:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pile the greens on a plate or in a shallow salad bowl. Top with chopped almonds, crumbled feta, and sliced beets.1 cup spring mix greens, 1 tablespoon roasted almonds, ⅛ cup crumbled feta, 1 small roasted beet
- In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together. If you prefer, use a small jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake the dressing until emulsified.1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon white balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon honey, salt and pepper to taste
- Pour dressing ingredients over salad and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make ahead: Roast the beets and almonds in advance. Dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Shake well before using.
- Dressing shortcut: If desired, substitute a bottled vinaigrette of your choice.
- Dressing for 4 salads: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1½ teaspoons honey, salt and pepper to taste.
- Beets: Air fryer beets, purchased vacuum-packed beets, or canned beets (not pickled) can be substituted for roasted beets. If you’re not a fan of beets, try roasted radishes, roasted turnips, roasted sweet potatoes, or roasted carrots.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Thank you for this inspirational recipe, Rachel! I had roasted a couple of golden beets earlier in the day and wanted to add them to a salad. Yours is a winner!
I will say that I made some substitutions for my husband’s and my plant-based diet. I used homemade cashew creme for the dressing base, used agave syrup in place of the honey, and used my favorite Champagne vinegar. For the salad itself, I omitted the almonds since we were already eating cashews in the dressing (plenty of healthful, whole-fat there!), I added small chunks of Cosmic Crisp apple, and I subbed out the feta for my homemade smoky vegan “Gouda” cheesy shreds.
Absolutely delicious. Your recipe has become my new Autumn salad fave!
I’m glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for sharing a photo!
I made so many substitutes in this recipe based on what was in my cupboard. I used canned beets instead of roasted, toasted walnuts instead of pecans, julienned romaine instead of spring mix. This is such a good ‘starter recipe’ – it was wonderful!
So glad you liked the recipe! You’re right, it’s a great base recipe and easy to adapt to your needs! Thanks for leaving a comment!
My ex used to make this salad and I always loved it. I’ve been looking for a recipe because I never knew what was in the vinaigrette. My absolute favorite!
Thank you so much.
So glad you were able to find it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
This was so delicious! I didn’t roast beets as I just bought the packaged ones at Costco to make it easier but still was so good!
Smart shortcut! I love it!
This was amazing! So easy to make but tasted like a fancy restaurant salad. Will make again and again and again,
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
I roasted some fresh beets from the garden and threw in a few fresh blueberries and toasted walnuts. So good!
I’m so glad you liked this salad! I love your additions!
Not a huge fan of almonds, so I threw in pine nuts and peanuts – worked well for me! I really loved your dijon vinaigrette, I made a bunch extra to use throughout the week. Thanks for sharing!
Sounds great! That’s one of my favorite dressing recipes, too!
This looks so delicious! I love the flavor combination of the beets and feta in this salad!
This salad is gorgeous, Rachel! I love roasted beets!
I really do wish this was for my lunch today! Beautiful salad Rachel!