Roasted Beet Salad with Pears and Goat Cheese
In this elegant salad recipe, beets, onions, and pears roast until their flavors concentrate and they become sweet, savory, and luxuriously tender. If you’d like to reduce the oven time (say, for Thanksgiving dinner when your oven is in high demand), you can par-boil the beets for 25 minutes. Simply toss the simmered beets with the onions and roast everything at the same time.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 3 medium Bosc or Bartlett pears
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- 5-6 medium beets
- 1 large white onion
- 2 tablespoons minced rosemary leaves
- Ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 4 ounces arugula
- 3 ounces crumbled chèvre cheese
For the Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Get ready. Position one rack in the oven toward the middle top and one rack toward the middle bottom. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line two large sheet trays with parchment paper.
- Prep the pears. Cut the pears in half lengthwise and remove the core. Do not remove the skin. Place the pear upright and slice from stem to bottom into 5 to 9 slices depending on how large your pears are. Place the slices in a single layer onto one of the lined sheet trays and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and set aside.
- Prep the beets and onions. Trim the ends of the beets, peel, and slice into 8 even wedges. Trim the ends of the onion, peel, and slice into 8 wedges. Add the beets and onions to the second prepared sheet pan and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Sprinkle with the rosemary and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together to make sure it’s evenly coated in oil and seasonings. Spread into a single layer.
- Roast the onion, beets, and pears. Place the sheet pans in the oven, one on each rack. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, flip the pear slices over and toss the beets and onion. Rotate the sheet pans so the one that was on the top is now on the bottom and the one on the bottom is now on the top. Roast for an additional 15 minutes, or until the pears are tender but still hold together.
- Finish the beets. If the pears are ready, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. Continue roasting the beets and onions until the beets are fork-tender, about 15 minutes more. In the end, the pears will roast for about 30 minutes, and the beets and onions for about 45 minutes.
- Toast the pine nuts. While everything roasts, add the pine nuts to a small dry pan and set on medium heat. Swirl the pan and toss frequently until the nuts are golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, balsamic, honey, remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, and salt to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Dress and serve. Remove the roasted beets and onions from the oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Spread the arugula on a serving platter. Spoon the slightly cooled beets and onions over the arugula, and pour the dressing over the salad. Tuck the pear slices into different places around the platter, nestling some into the beets. Scatter the chèvre cheese over top and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The beets and pears can be roasted one day before serving. Allow to cool, then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The salad dressing can be made a day in advance and kept in a sealed jar.
- If you have a smaller oven, roast the pears and onions/beets on two separate rows, switching halfway through.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Nutrition
Calories: 389.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.3g | Protein: 6.4g | Fat: 29.1g | Saturated Fat: 5.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16.1g | Cholesterol: 6.5mg | Sodium: 118.4mg | Potassium: 504.6mg | Fiber: 5.8g | Sugar: 21.1g | Vitamin A: 663.1IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 78.7mg | Iron: 2.1mg
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