This beet salad is vegan and gluten free, and you can totally make it your own by adding feta cheese, a few sliced apples, or some more nuts (lots of ideas below.) Be sure to grab my tips for how to cook beets (including oven and Instant Pot instructions.)
I honestly think there is a little magic in this roasted beet salad recipe, because, even my husband who is not at all a fan of beets really enjoys it! Admittedly, I am a bit of a snob myself when it comes to beets. I will only eat raw beets, if they’re super thinly sliced and buried a bunch of other ingredients. But roasted beets are a completely different story. Roasting beets transforms them from too hard to super tender and silky, while coaxing their natural sweetness out in the most wonderful way possible! This salad goes the extra mile, taking roasted beets to another level of delicious. With the addition of crispy kale; crunchy almonds; and a bright honey-lemon vinaigrette with hints of piney rosemary, this beet salad is one festive dish fit for the holiday table! Yet, it’s easy enough to make as a side any night of the week–served warm or at room temperature.
Vegan Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
It is rare that roasted beets take center stage in a recipe, but in this salad they do! They’re not just added with a bunch of other ingredients to “fluff things up,” they are the main event. Here we have two main ingredients: beets and kale, both roasted to their perfect state. First, we roast the kale in a high-heated oven until nice and crispy (this is usually super quick, about 7 to 10 minutes.) Then come the beets, which are roasted until perfectly tender and sweet (check out my tips below for how to roast beets.)
An important element that pulls this festive salad (or side dish) together is the bright lemon-honey vinaigrette. Just like it sounds, this dressing or vinaigrette incorporates fresh lemon juice and honey, along with excellent extra virgin olive oil and hints of pine rosemary. I ended up using my Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil for its rich, deep flavor (I highly recommend you give this olive oil a try if you have not.) Thinly sliced shallots and toasted slivered almonds add more crunch and flavor.
How to Make Crispy Kale Chips
Like my story with beets, I much prefer cooked kale over raw kale. And if we’re talking well-salted crispy kale chips like we have here, even better! It’s really not hard to do, just toss the kale leaves in some salt and a little extra virgin olive oil, then spread on a large baking sheet and roast in higher-heated oven for 7 to 10 minutes (you want to see slightly browned edges, but watch so that the kale does not burn.)
How to Roast Beets
To roast beets, you don’t even need to peel them necessarily. The reason I do peel and cut the beets before roasting is that I like to expose their inner juicy scarlet flesh to some kosher salt and excellent extra virgin olive oil. Pro tip: just use a pair of disposable gloves to avoid staining your hands, and roast an extra one for Beet Hummus!
Can this Roasted Beet Salad be Prepared Ahead?
You can roast the beets ahead of time. They will keep well refrigerated in a tight-lid container for 3 days or so. Be sure the beets cool off before storing.
How to Cook Beets In Instant Pot?
Instant Pot is all the rage these days, and if you don’t have the time for roasting the beets here, you can totally cook them in your pressure cooker/Instant Pot.
How Long will Beet Salad Last?
You can store cooked beets in the fridge in a shallow airtight container for 3 to 4 days. This makes a great lunch the next day, bu t just keep in mind that this is a kale beet salad with crispy kale chips. When stored, the kale will lose its crisp, but it will still keep a pleasant bite to it.
Variations…
I’ve kept this roasted beet salad simple, but you can make some changes and additions to your liking. What goes well with beet salad? Here are a few ways to dress it up: – Add cheese. If you don’t need to keep this vegan, roasted beet salad with feta or goat cheese is divine. Add a handful of crumbled cheese (feta or goat) on top of this roasted beet salad just before serving. – Add more nuts. You can absolutely amp up the crunch factor by adding more nuts in addition to almonds…pecans or walnut hearts would be great. And if you’re into something more sweet, candied pecans are a great choice. –Add apples or pairs. Personally, I’d go for thinly sliced granny smith apples (or another variety that’s available to you). You can even do all the above additions at once and create your ideal roasted beet salad!
What to Serve with Roasted Beet Salad?
There really is no right or wrong way to serve this beet salad. And even though it looks appropriate for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, this beet salad can be served anytime of the year. But like these brussels sprouts or roasted sweet potatoes, this roasted beet salad would pair well with hearty meat and poultry like turkey breast, roast chicken, leg of lamb or lamb chops. If you love beets, check out my orange beet salad and beet hummus, a creamy and delicious dip!
More Salads and Sides to Try
Kale Salad with Roasted Pistachios and Parmesan Tabouli Salad Easy Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip) Traditional Greek Salad Recipe BEST Greek Potatoes Vegan Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
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*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2016 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers benefit. Enjoy! 5 from 28 reviews
1 bunch kale, well cleaned and ribs removed (about 8 ounces kale leaves) 2.5 lb/ 1133 g beets (6 to 7 beets) washed, dried and peeled salt and pepper Extra virgin olive oil (I used Early Harvest) 1 shallot, sliced 3 tbsp slivered almonds
For Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used Early Harvest Greek olive oil) 2 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon) 3 tbsp/63 g honey 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 1/4 tsp/ 1.5 g dried organic rosemary Salt and pepper
Use the “Pressure Cook” function and and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. (Larger beets will take longer, maybe 20 to 30 minutes to cook.) When beets are finished, release the pressure immediately by turning the venting knob to vent position. When pressure is released, unlock lid. To test, use a small sharp knife to poke beets, if knife goes in without much resistance, they are ready. If they seem too hard yet, cook them a little longer in high pressure (about 2 to 5 minutes more.)
