Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!
Today I want to share with you this recipe for beet and goat cheese salad. It’s delicious, easy to make, and tastes great! A couple of years ago we enjoyed a fairly similar salad. I took the original recipe and made a few minor changes, and this salad is the result. Even though I’ve made this salad a few times, I finally got around to taking photos of the preparation, to share on my blog.
The salad has romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and chopped kale (from our garden) in it, but you can EASILY substitute a bag of spring greens instead (for convenience). Salad flavors are enhanced with the addition of creamy goat cheese crumbles, earthy tasting chopped beets, sweet mandarin orange slices, and crunchy, quick-candied pecans.
The beet and goat cheese salad is topped with an easy to make citrus dressing for a final pop of flavor, right before serving. YUM! Here’s how to make it:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Prepare The Citrus Poppyseed Dressing
Making the salad dressing is a cinch. Measure fresh squeezed orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, onion powder, poppyseeds and vegetable oil into a small bowl. Mix these ingredients together with a wire whisk or fork, until completely blended.
NOTE: You can also use a food processor or blender for this step, but do not add the poppyseeds until AFTER dressing is fully blended.
You can make the salad dressing early in the day if that is convenient. Store, covered, in refrigerator until time to dress the salad and serve. Give it a final whisk before dressing the beet and goat cheese salad. P.S. This dressing is delicious on other green salads, too!
Make Quick Candied Pecans
The candied pecans can be made ahead (to save time), and set aside until ready to assemble the beet and goat cheese salad. To make the quick-candied pecans, melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a medium skillet on medium low heat. Add 15-20 pecan halves (about 1/2 cup), 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir together until the pecans are fully coated.
Cook, stirring often, on medium low heat until pecans become sticky and most of the butter has dissipated in the skillet. This typically takes 4-5 minutes total. Remove the pecans using a fork, and place them onto foil or wax paper, leaving space between each one. They will be sticky at this point. Let the pecans sit at room temperature, and they will harden up as they cool.
Assemble The Beet And Goat Cheese Salad
To build the salad, place chilled mixed salad greens in bowl, and top them with the mandarin oranges and beets. I even got to use some of my home-canned mandarin oranges! By the way… you can also use oven roasted beets for this recipe, OR you can use half of a can of beets, cut up. Whatever type is most convenient for you to use is the best way! I happened to have had some home-roasted beets (leftover) in my freezer, so I thawed them to use.
The next thing to add is goat cheese crumbles and the (hardened) candied pecans. This salad is best, if assembled just before serving. Once the salad has been assembled, do not mix it up until dressing has been added, and you’re ready to dish it up! The reason for this is so the beets don’t discolor the rest of the salad ahead of time!
NOTE: If you HAVE to make this salad ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap at this point, and refrigerate (without mixing).
Dress The Beet And Goat Cheese Salad, And Serve!
When you’re ready to serve the salad, give the citrus dressing a final whisk or stir, and then pour it over the prepared salad. GENTLY toss, to combine (the less tossing the better so the beets don’t discolor it all!). TIP: If you don’t want to use all of the dressing, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Serve, and enjoy this delicious salad.
We enjoyed the beet and goat cheese salad, served alongside a baked potato, and our old standby, Traeger roasted chicken! It was really a great meal, and even though the photo below didn’t do the fully mixed and dressed salad justice, it sure tasted great!
Thank you for stopping by for a visit. The printable recipe card is below, and I hope you have the opportunity to make this yummy side salad. There’s enough for 4 servings (or maybe more if they’re small). Have a wonderful day. Take care.
Looking For More SALAD Recipes?
You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few salad recipes, including:
- BLT Wedge Salad
- Easy Chicken Caesar Salad
- Spinach Pear Salad
- Mixed Greens, Cranberries, Feta & Pecans w/ Creamy Lemon Dressing
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Recipe adapted from: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/beet-and-goat-cheese-salad/
Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!
- 8 ounces mixed Spring greens
- 15 ounces mandarin oranges (canned) , drained
- 7½ ounces canned beets (or oven-roasted) , patted dry, then chopped in 1" pieces
- ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese , can substitute feta
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 15-20 pecan halves
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 3 teaspoons orange zest
- 1½ Tablespoons honey
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ Tablespoon poppyseeds
Make Salad Dressing: Measure fresh squeezed orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, onion powder, poppyseeds and vegetable oil into small bowl. Mix with a wire whisk or fork, until completely blended. NOTE: You can use a food processor or blender for this step, but do not add poppyseeds until AFTER dressing is fully blended. Store (covered) in refrigerator until time to dress the salad and serve.
To Make Candied Pecans: Melt butter in skillet on medium low heat. Add pecan halves, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together until pecans are coated. Cook, stirring often, on medium low heat until pecans become sticky and most of the butter has dissipated (4-5 minutes). Remove pecans with a fork; place them on foil or wax paper, leaving space between each one. They will be sticky. Let pecans sit at room temperature. The glaze firms up as they cool.
Assemble Salad Right Before Serving: Place chilled salad greens in bowl; top with mandarin oranges and beets. Add goat cheese and candied pecans. Once salad is assembled, do not toss until dressing has been added, and you're ready to serve! This is so the beets don't discolor salad ahead of time! NOTE: If you HAVE to make this salad ahead, cover with plastic wrap at this point, and refrigerate (without dressing OR mixing).
To Serve: When ready to serve salad, give dressing a final whisk, and pour it over prepared salad. GENTLY toss, to combine. Serve, and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!