This Roasted Beet Salad with Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette is loaded with flavor and texture from roasted beets, creamy avocado, fresh red onion, walnuts, feta cheese, and citrus fruits! It's a delicious, healthy, easy-to-make salad that everyone will love!
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Why You'll ❤️ Citrusy Beet and Feta Salad
"I love beets! They're versatile, loaded with vitamins and minerals - and are fantastic in this salad. Paired with bright citrus fruits, salty feta cheese, and walnuts is simply perfect!"
If you love beetroot, be sure to try this roasted pumpkin and beetroot salad, and if you just want a simple side dish, make these easy air fryer roasted beets! They're so good!
Perfectly Paired
Many people think of pickled beets when you bring them up in conversation, but have you tried them roasted? They have a whole different flavor profile when you roast them in the oven and pair very well with bright, tangy flavors such as citrus, feta cheese, nuts, and peppery arugula.
Complimenting Textures
This beet salad with feta has a crunchiness from the fresh red onion and walnuts and creaminess from the avocado, feta cheese, and vinaigrette. Put that together with fresh cucumber, spinach, arugula, and juicy citrus fruits it all ties together perfectly!
Healthy
This salad is a fun way to incorporate many different food groups and keep it healthy! It is loaded with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, low calorie, gluten-free, low carb, and vegetarian.
🥘 What You'll Need
Here are the ingredients you will need to make beet salad with feta:
Salad
Red Onion - red onion is used because of its color and mild sweetness.
Beetroot - a traditional red beet will give this salad the most color, but you can also use golden beet - or any variety you choose.
Feta - you can use whatever your preference is. You can crumble off of a block of feta or purchase already crumbled feta for ease.
Toasted Walnuts - purchase raw walnuts and toast them at home, or you can purchase pre-roasted walnuts to save on time.
Baby Spinach
Arugula - I love using arugula in salads for its bright, citrusy, and peppery taste.
Orange - fresh orange is used in this salad.
Grapefruit - fresh grapefruit is used in this salad. Caution: grapefruit should be avoided when taking certain medications. Be sure to check your medications to see if you should avoid them.
Cucumber - use a traditional cucumber or even salad cucumbers, which are petite-sized ones with fewer seeds and a great crunch!
Avocado - I used a medium-sized avocado in my salad, but you can also use more or less as you prefer.
Salt and Pepper - used to taste.
Vinaigrette
Shallot - very finely diced in the vinaigrette.
White Wine Vinegar - this vinegar is a bit lighter and brighter than its counterpart (red wine vinegar). It pairs very well with citrus in this vinaigrette.
Walnut Oil - you can also use olive oil or your preferred oil choice.
Orange or Grapefruit Juice - or you can use a combination of both!
Orange or Grapefruit Zest - very finely grated zest; you can also use a combination.
Salt and Pepper - used to taste.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
🔪 How To Make Beet Salad with Feta
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making beet salad:
Make the Vinaigrette
Add the shallot and vinegar to a small jar and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine or cover with a lid and shake. Adjust salt, pepper, and citrus juices to taste.
Roast Beets
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, toss the beetroot with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the beets out on the roasting pan in a single layer.
Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and toss. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not overcooked.
Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool completely.
Assemble the Salad
Remove the top and bottom from the orange and grapefruit. Peel, then carefully segment the slices with a sharp knife. Cut along the membrane to the center, then repeat on the other side, releasing the slices.
Arrange the arugula and spinach on a salad plate. Layer the citrus fruit, beets, onion, and cucumber slices.
Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out spoonfuls and place them on the salad.
Top with feta and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with the citrus vinaigrette. Adjust the acidity and seasoning if needed, and serve!
🥗 How To Serve It
Here are a few ways to serve this roasted beet salad with feta:
Because the beetroot does tend to "bleed" onto its surroundings, it is best to serve this salad assembled on a plate or platter and not toss it all together.
Serve alone as a meal, or serve alongside a beautiful roast!
Meal idea! For a special occasion, serve this salad as a starter, then for the main dish, Cordon Bleu Stuffed Pork Loin with Crockpot Green Beans and Ham, and mashed potatoes or a simple Microwave Steamed Cauliflower with butter and parsley.
📖 Variations
Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to this recipe:
- You can use walnut oil or olive oil in this recipe. If you haven't tried walnut oil before, it has a really lovely taste!
- Use goat cheese crumbles in place of the crumbled feta cheese.
- Adjust any ingredients or seasonings in this salad to fit your liking.
- To increase acidity, add more vinegar or cheese.
- Use any variety of beetroot that you like. Try using roasted butternut squash in place of beetroot for a great alternative as well!
💭 Top Tips
- For quick assembly, prepare salad dressing, roast the beets, and toast the walnuts ahead of time. You can also prepare the citrus fruits in advance too.
- Add the oil last when making a vinaigrette. This helps keep the vinaigrette from breaking (separating).
- Make sure to check your beets as they roast. An overcooked beet can get mushy.
❓FAQs
How To Store
Beet salad cannot be stored, so it is best only to make what you are prepared to eat. You can, however, prepare your ingredients ahead of time, then use them to make smaller portions at a time. Keep the ingredients in separate containers ready to throw together! These ingredients will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. The greens, up to a week.
The easiest way to cut beets is to slice them lengthwise into half-inch strips, again lengthwise, then turn them into half-inch cubes. Roasting time can vary dependent on the size of the cube, whether smaller or larger.
The best fruits to pair with beets are citrus fruits, fresh berries, apples, and pears. The earthy-sweet combo pairs wonderfully!
Strong, sharp cheeses are said to pair the best with beets. Those cheeses include feta, goat, and blue cheeses of all sorts. The saltiness of these cheeses helps cut through the tame earthiness of the beets!
There are many vegetables and fruits that go well with beets. As mentioned above, the sweetness of most fruits balances nicely with the earthiness of beets. Vegetables such as parsnips, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, arugula, avocado, and spinach are many that pair with beets just as well!
✔️ More Salad Recipes
If you are looking for more unique healthy, delicious salad recipes, be sure to try these out:
- Red Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts
- Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans
- Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Roasted Pumpkin Salad
- Healthy Tomato and Eggplant Salad
📋 Recipe
Roasted Beet Salad with Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ small red onion (thin sliced)
- 12 ounces beetroot (peeled and cut into ¾" cubes)
- ½ cup feta (crumbled)
- ⅓ cup walnuts (toasted)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 large orange (peeled and sectioned)
- 1 small grapefruit (peeled and sectioned)
- ½ medium cucumber (peeled, sliced then cut into half moons)
- 1 medium avocado
- salt and pepper to taste
Citrus Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon shallot (finely diced)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons walnut oil or olive oil
- ¼ cup orange or grapefruit juice (or a combination)
- ½ teaspoon orange or grapefruit zest (finely grated zest, a combination is fine)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make Vinaigrette
- Add the shallot and vinegar to a small jar and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine or cover with a lid and shake. Adjust salt, pepper, and citrus juices to taste.
Roast Beets
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a roasting pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, toss the beetroot with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out the beets on a roasting pan in a single layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and toss. Return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not overcooked.
- Removed beets from the oven and let cool completely.
Salad
- Remove the top and bottom from the orange and grapefruit. Peel, then carefully segment the slices with a sharp knife. Cut along the membrane to the center, then repeat on the other side, releasing the slices
- Arrange arugula and spinach on a salad plate. Layer the citrus fruit, the beets, onion, tomatoes, cucumber slices, and avocado.
- Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out spoonfuls and place on the salad.
- Top with feta and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with the citrus vinaigrette. Adjust acidity and seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Use walnut or olive oil. If you haven't tried walnut oil before - it has the most wonderful taste! Use goat cheese in place of the feta. Adjust any ingredients and seasoning to your liking. To increase acidity add more vinegar or cheese.
- TOP TIPS: Layer the salad ingredients for even distribution. Drizzle the salad dressing over the top. Because the beets will bleed, if the salad is tossed it will start to turn pink. It does not affect the flavor; The salad only takes 5 minutes to assemble. Roasting the beets, toasting the walnuts, making the vinaigrette, and pickling the onions call all be done several days in advance. Pickling the onions can be optional.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Assemble but do not toss the salad. Serve on a platter or individual plates.
Nutrition
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