This winter beet salad is short on ingredients but full of flavor. From earthy beets to fragrant persimmon, all topped off with a delicious creamy goats cheese dressing. Great for lunch or as a side.
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I don't know about you, but I am starting to feel the effects of having made lots of cookies, panettone and other sweeter things recently (a side effect of blogging, baking Christmas cookies early!). I have done my best to give quite a few away, and the kids are all too happy to help out, but I'll be honest I am all too tempted by them myself to resist.
True, the odd cookie is not a bad thing but it's a daily habit at the moment which isn't really me. I don't know if I'm weird but I get sugar headaches. But it has some benefits as I then start plotting healthy foods to compensate, such as this great big beet salad that I had for lunch recently. And they, too, can be delicious discoveries.
Beet salad: the perfect salad for colder weather
I know, salads can feel out of place at this time of year. But to me, it's more a matter of picking the right seasonal ingredients and they can then still be just what you need. A beet salad, for instance, feels much more at home this time of year.
Particularly when you add in things like persimmon and fennel, as I have here. Top it off with a delicious, creamy goat's cheese dressing and you have a perfect winter salad.
How it's made
This winter beet salad is incredibly easy to prepare with only 5 ingredients in the salad and the same in the dressing. I think roast beets (or the full name beetroot as I we'd say in the UK) are much better flavor-wise for this salad.
I appreciate that means a little more work than say buying ready-cooked beets, but you can still make it easy by roasting a day or two ahead of time and keep them refrigerated. Just add them in the oven when you are cooking something else. When you're ready to eat, you just slice a few things, toast the hazelnuts and whisk together the dressing and that's it.
If you can't get hazelnuts then you could substitute them with walnuts or pecans. I do think hazelnuts are the better flavor match, though. They're also better toasted, though this can be skipped too if you're in a rush.
While I had this beet salad for lunch (and polished off a great big bowl of it), it would also make a great appetizer or side dish. It would be a great salad for entertaining as it's so easy but has lots of color and flavor. It's mild enough, though, to work with many other flavors.
Whenever you choose to serve it, this winter beet salad is truly delicious. It's got so many textures and flavors for so few ingredients - the crunch of the salad leaves and fennel, the soft sweet persimmon, the earthy roast beetroot and the creamy rich goat's cheese dressing with a slight sweetness from honey.
It's a wonderful bowl of tasty goodness that certainly helps balance out the cookies. In fact so much so, I'm craving more as I write.
Try these other winter salads:
- Winter fattoush salad
- Fennel citrus salad
- Lentil salad with roasted Brussels sprouts and grapes
- Plus get more seasonal ideas in the winter recipes archives.
Winter beet salad with goat's cheese dressing
Ingredients
- 2 beet medium
- 4 handfuls mixed salad leaves approx, eg spring mix
- 1 bulb fennel small
- 1 persimmon fuyu - the smaller tomato-shaped ones that you can eat when still firm
- ½ cup hazelnuts 70g
For dressing
- 4 tbsp goats cheese 60g
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp wine vinegar
Instructions
- Peel the beets, cut into bite-sized chunks, toss with a little olive oil in a roasting dish and roast them for approx 40min at 375-400F/180-200C until tender to a knifepoint. This can be done a day or two ahead and the beets kept in the fridge until needed.
- Put the salad leaves in a large bowl. Halve the fennel bulb, remove the firm core and thinly slice, cutting larger slices in half. Toss the fennel with the salad leaves.
- Cut the persimmon into thin slices and arrange over the salad leaves. Arrange the beetroot pieces over the leaves as well.
- Gently toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet/frying pan or under the broiler/grill for a few minutes until you can start to smell them slightly but they are not browning (you can skip this if you don't have time, it just helps bring out the flavor) then add to the salad bowl.
- Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Note - You don't want to put the dressing over too far ahead of serving as it can separate and look a little like it has curdled although it's fine.
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Try these other festive salads:
- Cranberry Walnut Potato Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad by Bottom Left of the Mitten
- Roasted Artichoke Salad by Sunday Supper Movement
- Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese Salad by My Life Cookbook
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing by Bites of Wellness
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Dressing by Life Tastes Good
- Sweet Potato French Bean Lentil Salad by Food Lust People Love
- Winter Slaw with Pecans and Maple Dressing by Sprinkles and Sprouts
Remember to pin for later!
Denise Wright
There are so many interesting ingredients in this salad, like the persimmons and hazelnuts... but I'm most intrigued with the goat cheese dressing. i've got to try that.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Denise -you really should try the dressing, it's so good! And works so well with everything else here.
Liz
So beautiful! I'm so glad persimmons are in season now!!!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Liz, me too!
Laura Dembowski
Love that you used some ingredients that often go over looked. I love hazelnuts and really need to pick up some persimmons.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Laura, I look forward to persimmon being in season each year! They work well here, and with everything else.
Stacy
I love the combination of sweet and savory, especially with that creamy goat's cheese dressing. I'm going to have to make this one next time my husband is traveling. He's not a fan of beetroot but it's one of my favorites!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Stacy, I agree the sweet-savory combination is so good. And yes, make an excuse to make it while he's away and enjoy it all for yourself!
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant
Too many cookies and a bottle of Ready Whip just sitting around staring at me. I have not been very successful at resisting. This salad is so good. I love beet/goat cheese combination and those hazelnuts! Thanks for sharing this at #SaucySaturdays, Caroline.
Caroline's Cooking
Me neither, but I can at least try to balance things out with things like this, which when it's tasty is not so hard 🙂
Stef
Beetroot, goats cheese and hazelnut really is a perfect combination! I love this wintery salad, still nice and fresh. A good break from all the heaven things we tend to have 🙂 Yummy!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Stef, it's a tasty combination and as you say a lovely break from the heavier food around too.
Jhuls
The goat cheese dressing sounds interesting. This looks delicious and beautiful, Caroline. Happy FF. 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Jhuls, the dressing is really tasty, do give it a try! It goes well with everything else here as well.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Anita, and thanks for stopping by!
Jade @ Jonesin' For Taste
I've never tried beets before because they have always kind of scared me but this looks amazing! I might have to face my fears and try it.
Caroline's Cooking
Beets are definitely worth trying, Jade - I think roasted is my favorite way, it's very easy, and great in this salad.
Liz
Oh, yeah, bring on the salad! Between blogger cookie exchanges and a real life cookie exchange, I'm on carb overload! I love the idea of a goat cheese dressing over beets, hazelnuts and more. What a divine dish!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Liz, the dressing is great and goes really well with everything in there.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Michelle - I hope you like it, it's so easy but delicious!
Joy @ Joy Love Food
I love roasted beets in salads, this sounds delicious with the fennel and goat cheese, yum!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Joy, yes all the ingredients in here are so tasty!
Denise Wright
Oh I love beets and the dressing sounds fabulous. I can't wait to try this!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Denise, I hope you enjoy it!
Analida's Ethnic Spoon
I've been making my own goat cheese and I am going to try this salad! Looks fantastic!
Caroline's Cooking
Of course, I remember you saying about the homemade goat's cheese - this is definitely a great way to use some!
Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen
Such a beautiful salad, I love all of these ingredients! And Goat Cheese Dressing sounds delish!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Ashlyn. The dressing is so delicious, I will definitely be making it again soon!