Roasted Beet Salad with orange and mint makes an incredible side dish and it's simple to make!
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One of the jewels of fresh spring produce is the humble beet. It's a bit of a diamond in the rough when you see those rough beet roots on the grocery store shelf. But both the flavor and color of beets can shine in this simple and beautiful roasted beet salad. This beet salad recipe is easy to prepare and is the perfect fresh side dish for almost any meal.
I have to tell you, beets are kind of a wonder vegetable. Not only can you eat the entire things, tops and roots, but they are a nutritional powerhouse! The beet root, which is the main ingredient in roasted beet salad, is an amazing source of fiber, vitamin C, and folate (pregnant mamas should love that).
And though beets have a very robust color, their taste can easily pair with many foods and take on a bit of flavor from what they're combined with. This beet salad recipe has the earthy flavor of beets, sweet oranges, vibrant mint (fresh from the garden), and a sprinkling of salty cotija cheese to bring it all together.
Never roasted beets before? No problem! Check out my instructions, including a video, for how to easily oven roast beets. It's very much a set it and forget it recipe, and it gives you beautifully roasted beets to have on hand for salads like this! Now let's get down to exactly what you'll need for this stunning salad.
🧂 Ingredients
- Fresh Beets (roasted) (red or yellow beets both work well in this salad)
- Navel Oranges
- Fresh Mint
- Pecans
- Cotija Cheese
- White Wine Vinegar
- Olive Oil
from the pantry: salt and black pepper
This is meant to be a brief overview of the recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below or Jump to Recipe.
🔪Instructions
- Start by roasting fresh beets in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for 30 minutes at 400-degrees F. (For a full tutorial and video, see my post).
- Let beets cool, then gently rub off skin. Slice beets into ½ inch chunks and place in a large bowl.
- After that, peel and section oranges. Cut into bite-size chunks and add to bowl with beets.
- Take fresh mint off of stem and roughly chop, adding to bowl as well. Add in chopped pecans (which can be toasted if you like)
- Then create your vinaigrette in a small bowl using white wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Whisk together with a fork and gently toss in bowl with salad ingredients.
- Finally, top salad with crumbled Cotija cheese and serve!
Equipment
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- Roasting pan
- Whisk
- Medium mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this recipe.
Cotija is a savory cow's milk cheese.
They are similar but not the same. They both have a crumbly texture, but cotija is made from cow's milk, while Feta is made from sheep or goat's milk.
📖 Variations
Because we test all our recipes, we recommend that you make them once just as it is without substitutions or changes. Sometimes variations can go awry. Making our Roasted Beet Salad recipe as we have tested it will yield the best results.
If you really want to get creative, here are some different ways to make this roasted beet and orange salad recipe that might work well. (Please note, we have not tested these variations).
- You can use red beets and/or golden beets in this recipe.
- Swap out chopped pistachios for the pecans, or use crunchy walnuts.
- Use feta cheese, blue cheese, or creamy goat cheese in place of the Cotija cheese.
- For a little bite, add thinly sliced red onion.
- Substitute red wine vinegar for the white wine vinegar and/or avocado oil for the olive oil.
- Use tangelos or mandarin oranges in place of the navel oranges.
- Add a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts or pecans.
- Place the beet salad on a bed of baby spinach or other salad greens.
- Add fresh tarragon or fresh thyme instead of fresh mint.
⏲️ Storage
Roasted beet salad leftovers should be stored in the fridge and preferably in a covered glass dish. Beets' vibrant color may stain plastic containers, so glass is always a good choice for storage.
This salad may even taste better after sitting overnight in the fridge, so don't let those leftovers go to waste. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
🍴 Serving Suggestions
This salad can simply be combined and served on a platter. However, you may want to wait and add the beets just before cheese is sprinkled on, and this will keep the color from the beets from spreading to the other ingredients as much. Then sprinkle with the cotija cheese and serve.
If made in advance, this roasted beet salad can be stored in the fridge until ready to eat.
😋 Similar Recipes
You might also enjoy one of these yummy dressing or salad recipes next time:
- Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing - a deliciously tart, fresh dressing for Spring and Summer salads.
- Best Watermelon Salad - perfect refresher for Summer.
- Chicken Cobb Salad - delicious as a Summer main dish.
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette - sophisticated flavors that are just right for brunch.
- Shaved Fennel Salad - your guests will never know how easy this is.
- Winter Citrus Salad Recipe - fresh, delicious and in season!
📋 Roasted Beet Salad
This simple salad combines earthy beets, sweet oranges, and salty cotija cheese to make a quick and easy side dish for any weeknight meal.
Not ready to make it yet? Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later! When you do make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram @jugglingactmama or #jugglingactmama – I’d love to see your pictures! And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Roasted Beet Salad
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Equipment
- Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 2 Beets roasted
- 2 Oranges
- ¼ cup Pecans
- 3 tablespoon fresh Mint
- ½ cup Cotija cheese
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by roasted beets at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Once cool, slice beets into ½ inch segments and add to bowl.
- Peel and section oranges.
- Slice into bite-sized pieces and add to bowl along with chopped mint and pecans.
- In a small bowl, whisk oil and vinegar, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour over beet mixture and toss to coat.
- Finally, top with crumbled cotija cheese and serve.
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Deb says
This definitely caught my eye! A simple salad with delicious flavors - YUM!! Photos are stunning, I can't wait to give it a try!!
Ang Paris says
Such a nice twist from a traditional salad, right?
Thanks so much for stopping by Deb 🙂