The Best Beet Salad

The Best Beet Salad has goat cheese and an orange-balsamic vinaigrette. It’s simple to make, and delicious! 

Beet Salad with goat cheese is a classic! The best beet salads are very simple and only require a few ingredients. The flavor of beets pairs really well with the sharp, distinct flavors of goat cheese. A simple balsamic vinaigrette adds some tang, without overpowering the flavor of the beets. You can use mixed salad greens or baby spinach.

There are several different options for cooking your beets for this recipe. The recipe itself calls for steaming your beats, but there are other options as well that don’t require peeling your beats, which can be difficult and cumbersome. Feel free to choose whichever method works best for you.

How to roast beets:

Beets can be roasted whole, without peeling. Rinse and scrub your beets to remove any dirt or debris. Wrap beets whole, individually, with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 60 minutes until tender. The amount of cooking time will depend on the size of the beets. Once tender, unwrap and remove the peels. Then you can easily slice, or cube the beets for eating.

How to boil beets:

Beets can be boiled whole until tender. This allows for the easy removal of the peel. Rinse and scrub your beets to remove any dirt or debris. Place the beets whole into a pot of boiling water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the beets until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and peel. Then you can slice or cube the beets for eating.

How to steam beets:

Steaming vegetables is a healthy way to cook vegetables. It requires no additional fats and the steaming process helps the vegetable itself to retain more nutrients and flavor.  There are a few different methods you can use.

1. Steamer
There is an actual specialized kitchen appliance you can buy called a steamer. It has a base, a steaming basket, and a lid. You just fill the base with a couple inches of water, put the beets in the basket that fits over the base, put the lid on, heat the water to simmering, and steam away. It takes about 12 to 15 minutes to steam cubed beets.

2. Makeshift Steamer
A makeshift steamer can be made using a pot, a colander, and a lid that at least somewhat fits. Put an inch or two of water in the pot and then put the colander over it. The colander should be able to fit over the pot without touching the water in the base. Then cover it with a lid. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit. Just as long as it traps most of the steam inside. Proceed the same as a regular steamer.

3. Pan
The pan method isn’t perfect, but it does work. Pick a saucepan that is big enough to fit all your beets in it. Put a half inch of water in the bottom and bring it to a boil. Add in your beets, put the lid on, and reduce the heat to low so it just simmers. The water will create enough steam to cook the beets, but the beets that actually touch the water might get a little soggy or overcooked.

4. Microwave
Use a microwave safe bowl and just put a little bit of water in to cover the bottom of it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a couple holes in it to allow some steam to escape. Microwave until desired done-ness is reached.