This watermelon, beet and goat cheese salad is a beautiful, delicious and loaded with antioxidants! (vegetarian, gluten-free)
Beets and watermelon? Sounds like a strange combination. But please don't knock it 'til you try it! Admittedly, I didn't come up with it. This recipe is inspired by one I ate while on vacation in Mexico, and it's really quite genius if I do say so.
Why You'll Love This Salad
While unexpected, the contrast of flavors and textures in this salad is completely delicious! Creamy goat cheese and crunchy walnuts add interest to juicy, sweet watermelon and earthy roasted beets. A drizzle of balsamic, good olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt round things out. It's really one of those 'no recipe' recipes - you don't need to measure, just wing it! Simple, nutritious and tasty!
What Makes This Salad Healthy?
See the beautiful hues of the beets and watermelon. Those colors signal antioxidants, specifically betalains in beets, which is anti-inflammatory and lycopene in watermelon, which could prevent certain cancers. Beets are also high in naturally occurring nitrates, which are great for improving blood pressure and brain health. Both are also naturally high in fiber, making this salad a delicious source of functional nutrition.
What You'll Need
- Beets
- Seedless watermelon
- Soft goat cheese
- Walnuts
- Olive oil
- balsamic vinegar (I like white balsamic)
- Coarse salt and black pepper
How To Roast Beets
The most time consuming part of this salad is roasting the beets.
- Wash and scrub the beets.
- Wrap individually in foil and place in a baking dish.
- Roast at 400°F until soft, about 30-45 minutes.
- Let the beets cool completely before handling them. Once they're cooled, use your hands to peel the skin from the beets. It should slip off easily. Then cut the beets into half inch cubes and with the other salad ingredients.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- I like to cook the beets a day ahead, if possible so that they're chilled and ready to go. This is a great way to use up leftover beets!
- If you have them, microgreens are delicious on this salad. So are fresh herbs, such as basil or mint.
- For a vegan version, omit the goat cheese.
For more healthy summer recipe inspiration, browse these Healthy and Delicious Summer Side Dishes!
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintWatermelon Beet Salad
This watermelon, beet and goat cheese salad is a beautiful, delicious and loaded with antioxidants! (vegetarian, gluten-free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: salad
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 large beets
- 2 cups seedless watermelon
- ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup walnut pieces
- 1 tbsp high quality olive oil
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic)
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Scrub and rinse beets. Tightly wrap individual beets in foil and roast for 30-45 minutes, or until soft. Let cool completely before handling.
- Once cooled, use your hands to rub the skin from the beets. It should easily peel off. Cut beets into half inch cubes.
- Cut watermelon into half inch cubes.
- On a platter, arrange beet and watermelon cubes. Sprinkle with goat cheese and walnuts. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Notes
- I like to cook the beets a day ahead, if possible so that they're chilled and ready to go. This is a great way to use up leftover beets!
- If you have them, microgreens are delicious on this salad. So are fresh herbs, such as basil or mint.
- For a vegan version, omit the goat cheese.
Keywords: watermelon and roasted beet salad, watermelon beet goat cheese salad
This post was originally published June 2017 and has been updated.
Leave a Reply