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Foil-roasted beets turn dense and candy-sweet, then get tossed with a sharp balsamic-shallot dressing, peppery arugula, creamy feta, and toasted walnuts. Roasting in sealed foil packets steams the beets in their own juices, concentrating their sugars instead of leaching them into boiling water — and the skins slip right off afterward. It is an earthy, tangy, crunchy salad that works as a weeknight side or a holiday-table standby.
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Scrub 6 medium beets, rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, wrap them two-to-a-packet in foil, and roast on a rimmed baking sheet 50–60 minutes, until a paring knife slides in with no resistance. While they roast, toast 60 g (1/2 cup) walnuts 6–8 minutes and whisk a dressing of 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, 45 ml (3 tbsp) balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tbsp honey, and a minced shallot. Let the beets rest in their foil 15 minutes, slip off the skins with a paper towel, cut into wedges, and toss with half the dressing. Just before serving, layer the dressed beets over 100 g (5 cups) arugula, scatter with 100 g (3/4 cup) crumbled feta and the walnuts, and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
- Roast until a knife meets zero resistance at the center — undercooked beets taste woody and won't peel cleanly.
- Dress the beets separately and add them to the greens last, or the whole salad turns pink.
- Peel while still warm: the skins rub off with a paper towel, no peeler needed.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Paring knife
- Small jar or bowl with whisk
- Cutting board
- Large salad bowl
材料
Roasted beets
- medium red beets, about 900 g / 2 lb, tops trimmed to 1 inch, scrubbed
- 15 ml olive oil, for rubbing the beets
- 3 g kosher salt
Balsamic-shallot dressing
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 45 ml balsamic vinegar
- 5 g Dijon mustard, helps the dressing emulsify
- 21 g honey
- small shallot, finely minced, about 2 tbsp
- 2 g kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 g freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 100 g baby arugula, loosely packed; baby spinach works too
- 100 g feta cheese, crumbled; a block in brine crumbles creamier than pre-crumbled
- 60 g walnut halves, roughly broken
作り方
- ステップ01
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Scrub the beets well and trim the tops to about 1 inch, leaving the root tail on so they don't bleed. Rub them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then wrap two or three beets per packet in heavy-duty foil, crimping the seams tightly so steam stays inside.
- ステップ02
Set the packets on a rimmed baking sheet (they can leak red juice) and roast for 50 to 60 minutes. They're done when a paring knife pushed through the foil into the largest beet slides to the center with no resistance. If you feel any firmness, give them another 10 minutes — size matters more than the clock here.
- ステップ03
While the beets roast, spread the walnuts on a small dry sheet pan and toast in the same oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until they smell nutty and darken a shade. Tip them onto a plate immediately so they don't keep cooking, and let them cool.
- ステップ04
In a jar or small bowl, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, honey, minced shallot, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Shake or whisk until smooth and slightly thickened. Let it sit while the beets finish so the shallot mellows in the vinegar.
- ステップ05
Open the foil packets carefully (hot steam) and let the beets rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Hold each beet in a paper towel and rub — the skins should slip right off; use a paring knife only for stubborn spots. Trim the ends and cut into 2 cm (3/4-inch) wedges. A little oil rubbed on your hands first limits staining.
- ステップ06
In a bowl, toss the warm beet wedges with about half the dressing and a pinch of salt. Dressing them separately — and while still slightly warm — lets them drink in the vinaigrette and keeps their juices from dyeing the entire salad pink. Taste one; add more salt if the earthiness needs waking up.
- ステップ07
Spread the arugula on a platter or in a wide bowl and drizzle lightly with some of the remaining dressing. Arrange the dressed beets on top, scatter over the crumbled feta and toasted walnuts, and finish with the last of the dressing and a grind of black pepper. Serve right away, at room temperature or slightly warm.
Make ahead
This salad is built for making ahead. Roast, peel, and cut the beets up to 4 days in advance and refrigerate them in the vinaigrette — they only get better as they marinate. Toast the walnuts and crumble the feta up to 3 days ahead. On serving day, just bring the beets toward room temperature and assemble over fresh arugula; the whole job takes 5 minutes.
Storage
Store components separately for best results: dressed beets keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and the vinaigrette for up to 1 week (shake to re-emulsify). A fully assembled salad wilts within a few hours and the feta turns pink, so refrigerate leftovers no more than 1 day. Do not freeze — thawed beets weep and the greens turn to mush.
Variations
Goat cheese and citrus
Swap the feta for 100 g soft goat cheese dotted on in small clumps, and add the segments of 1 orange (or 2 clementines). Replace the balsamic with 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar for a brighter, wintery version.
Vegan maple-tahini
Skip the feta, swap the honey for maple syrup, and whisk 1 tablespoon tahini into the dressing for creaminess (note: adds sesame). Add 240 g (1 1/2 cups) cooked chickpeas to keep it a filling main. The salad is then fully vegan and still gluten-free.
Farro grain bowl
Toss the dressed beets with 300 g (2 cups) cooked, cooled farro and reduce the arugula by half for a heartier lunch bowl that holds up overnight. Note that farro contains gluten — use cooked quinoa to stay gluten-free.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
よくある質問
Can I use pre-cooked or canned beets instead of roasting?
Vacuum-packed cooked beets work in a pinch — pat them dry, cut into wedges, and marinate them in the dressing for at least 20 minutes to build flavor. Canned beets are softer and waterier, so drain them very well. That said, roasting is what makes this beet salad recipe taste the way it does: the dry heat concentrates the sugars instead of washing them out, so roast fresh beets whenever you have the hour.
How do I keep beets from staining everything?
Rub a little oil on your hands before peeling, or wear disposable gloves, and peel over a foil-lined board or a plate you don't mind rinsing right away. Stains on hands come off with lemon juice and salt. In the salad itself, the trick is sequencing: dress the beets in their own bowl and add them on top of the greens at the end rather than tossing everything together.
Why roast beets in foil instead of boiling them?
Boiling leaches color, sweetness, and nutrients into the water. Sealed in foil, the beets steam in their own juices, so the flavor concentrates and they cook evenly without drying out. It's also hands-off — no pot to watch — and the skins rub off far more easily from a foil-roasted beet than a boiled one.
Can I make this beet salad recipe ahead for a party?
Yes — it's one of the best salads to prep in advance. Roast and peel the beets up to 4 days ahead and store them in the vinaigrette in the fridge; the marinating time actually improves them. Keep the walnuts, feta, and arugula separate, then assemble just before guests arrive so the greens stay crisp and unstained.
Do golden beets work the same way?
They roast in the same time and taste slightly milder and less earthy, which some people prefer. They also don't bleed, so you can toss the whole salad together freely. A mix of red and golden beets looks striking — just dress them in separate bowls, or the red ones will dye the golden ones pink.
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