Roasted Beet Salad with Crispy Goat Cheese
This Roasted Beet Salad with fresh oranges and creamy avocado is topped with the best crispy goat cheese, tossed with a flavorful orange honey vinaigrette and crunchy pecans.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 565kcal
Ingredients
For the Orange Honey Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the Crispy Goat Cheese
- 1 8-ounces log goat cheese
- 2 cups panko
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup all purposed flour
- Vegetable oil or any mild flavored oil for frying or more if needed
For the Salad
- 3-4 beets red, golden or any variety (depending on size)
- 2 oranges peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1-2 avocados peeled, seeded and sliced
- 8 ounces Mesclun mix fresh arugula or fresh spinach
- 1/3 cup pecans candied pecans or walnuts, chopped
Instructions
Make the Orange Honey Vinaigrette
- Whisk all the ingredients together except for the olive oil. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in while whisking constantly. Reserve until ready to use
Roast the Beets
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut off the tops close to the top of the beets. Don't trim the root. Place your beets in a big piece of aluminum foil - big enough to create a sealed pouch. Coat the beets very lightly with olive oil and season them with salt (this step is optional but recommended as it flavors the beets). Wrap the beets with the aluminum foil (as if creating a pouch for the beets). Place the pouch on a baking sheet. Roast for 40-55 minutes (depending on their size) or until a small sharp knife can easily be inserted in the middle. Carefully open the aluminum foil pouch (steam may come off) and set the beets aside to cool. Peel the skin off and slice (you may want to wear gloves and cover your cutting board with parchment paper to prevent stains). Toss the roasted beets with about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the Crispy Goat Cheese
- Freeze the goat cheese log for 15 minutes to firm before cutting.
- Combine the panko, the cornstarch and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Remove the cheese from the freezer. Using a small sharp knife, slice the goat cheese into ½-inch rounds. Wipe the knife clean in between cuts. Reshape the round if needed to create nice round coins.
- In an assembly line, lightly dust the cheese coins in the flour, remove the excess flour and dip them into the egg mixture, then roll them in the panko mix. Make sure you coat all sides of the cheese.
- Place the cheese coins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- In a small skillet, add enough oil to reach halfway up the goat cheese (about 1/4-inch deep) Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the cheese coins until golden brown and crispy approximately 1 minute per side (the cheese cooks very quickly so check for doneness after 30 seconds). Remove from the skillet and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
To Assemble the Salad
- Place the greens, beets and sliced oranges and sliced avocados on a platter or salad bowl. Top with the crispy goat cheese and nuts. Season to taste with salt and black ground pepper and serve with the vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 346mg | Potassium: 1024mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 2085IU | Vitamin C: 114mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 4.9mg