Roasted beetroot walnut feta salad is easy, healthy and delicious! It is a complete salad with a flavorful roasted garlic dressing you would want to eat for lunch, dinner or any time hunger strikes!
Why You’ll Love This Beet Salad
This walnut beetroot feta salad is so inviting that you can’t wait to dig into it. Sweet roasted beetroot, crunchy walnuts, creamy feta and roasted garlic dressing that brings it all together.
Add in lettuce and parsley for some herby goodness and you get a salad to die for. Seriously.
This salad is so easy to put together. It is also the most flavorful and unique of all the beetroot salad recipes out there. Like my beet orange salad with ginger dressing.
You might ask how?
- It involves minimum chopping (only the beets).
- No sweating near the stove is required. Right from roasting the beetroot and garlic to toasting the walnuts, the oven does the job for you. That way it is similar to roasted red pepper dressing.
- The garlic is roasted with beets, so you save time.
- In this recipe, beetroot is roasted with spices. This gives some flavor to the salad even before adding the dressing.
- Garlic has an amazing flavor when roasted. (If you’ve ever roasted garlic in your oven or made roasted garlic herb butter or roasted garlic pesto, you’ll know that your kitchen would be filled with the aroma.)
- When you add it to the dressing, it takes the salad to a new level.
The downside to a beet salad is that everything you add will turn beetroot-colored when tossed. We will take care of it later on in the post.
Make sure you read the recipe tips before you get started. So here’s how you do it:
Video
What You’ll Need For The Salad
(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)
- Beetroot: Choose ones that are firm with smooth undamaged skin. An easier method is to use precooked/canned beets. But I don’t prefer them since you’ll lose out on the amazing flavors of spicy roasted beetroot.
- Feta: for richness and protein. You can buy a block or use the bottled flavored cubes of feta.
- Walnuts: for the crunch. Toast raw walnuts or use toasted/ baked ones.
- Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is my favorite. (It has the most health benefits.) You can use others like iceberg, arugula or butterhead or a mix of salad leaves.
- Spices: Roasted garlic provides a lot of flavor so you’ll need only chili flakes, salt and pepper to spice things up.
- Herbs: I’ve used dried basil and fresh parsley here. You can use any dried or fresh herbs you have on hand (like oregano, dill, mint, or cilantro).
- Oil: I’ve used 2 types: extra virgin olive oil for the dressing and regular one for roasting the beetroot. This is because extra virgin olive oil loses some of its nutrients when heated.
How To Make Beetroot Walnut Feta Salad: Step by step
Roast Beetroot And Garlic
- In a small bowl, mix chili flakes, salt pepper and olive oil.
- Peel and dice the beets into 1½ inch cubes. Add the seasoning and toss until all the cubes are coated.
- Mix in unpeeled garlic cloves. Spread out the beets and garlic in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast in the oven at 210°C/410°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Would like a beet salad with oraquicker
Toast Walnuts
Once cooked, remove the roasted beetroot and garlic from the oven. Turn off the oven. Spread out walnuts in a baking tray and place in the warm oven. In 5 to 7 minutes the walnuts will turn out toasted and crunchy.
Make Roasted Garlic Dressing
- Once the roasted garlic cloves cool down, peel and mash them with a fork.
- Whisk together mashed garlic with chili flakes, dried basil, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper.
- The roasted garlic dressing is ready!
Prepare And Drizzle!
- Tear the lettuce leaves and place them on a plate. Thinly slice the onions and spread them on the lettuce.
- Add roasted beetroot. Add half the dressing and toss.
- Add toasted walnuts and crumbled feta.
- When it’s time to serve, drizzle the rest of the dressing and toss well.
Recipe Tips
The dressing will be thick since I’ve tried to limit the oil used. It’s okay. Once you toss everything well, the dressing will get mixed and absorbed into the salad.
Oil: You can add more oil to the dressing if you’re not that worried about a few more calories.
Onions: (Don’t like the sharp bite of raw onions? Try this quick method to soften onions that will make them more likable.)
Walnuts: You might want to chop them into smaller chunks. I like to chop up half of them while leaving some whole. They really look pretty!
Tossing the salad: If you don’t mind the feta and walnuts turning pink, you don’t have to layer the salad and add the dressing in stages as above. Just dump everything in a bowl, add the dressing and toss!
I do that most often. Today I wanted the white feta to shine through in the photos 😉
Common Questions About Roasted Beetroot Salad
Why do my roasted beets taste bitter?
When you overcook beets, they get burnt and taste bitter. The size of the beetroot cubes matters when you roast them.
The rule of thumb is to peel and dice the beetroot into 1½ inch cubes. If the beets are medium-sized, quarter them and halve each quarter crosswise. Chop large ones into 6 wedges and halve each of those wedges.
Roast the diced beets in the oven at 210°C/410°F for not more than 25 minutes. It is better to check after 20 minutes.
Are beets better boiled or baked?
When you boil beetroot, some of the flavor and nutrients leach into the water and are lost. When beets are roasted, they get caramelized and taste sweeter. They lose some of the nutrients when compared to raw beets, but they still turn out more nutritious and delicious than boiled ones.
How long can you keep roasted beetroot?
You can store roasted beetroot in an airtight container or ziplock bags in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If you want to keep them longer, freeze them. They can be frozen for about 3 months.
This beet salad (without lettuce and herbs) can also be stored that long if the roasted garlic dressing is stored in a separate container. The lettuce and fresh herbs have to be added before serving.
How do you know when a roasted beet is done?
You should be able to insert a fork into the cooked beet without resistance.
An important tip to note is that when you season the beetroot cubes, ensure that all pieces are well coated with oil. If not, the beetroot will turn out dry and unappetizing. The risk of them getting burnt is also high when there’s not enough fat.
Health Benefits Of Beetroot
Beets have many helpful plant compounds that reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage.
Beetroot and its juice help your heart and lungs work better during exercise. Nitric oxide from beets increases blood flow to your muscles.
Beets are rich in folate (vitamin B9) an potassium hat help cells grow and function. This can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Beets are naturally high in nitrates that reduce blood pressure by causing the blood vessels to relax and widen.
Beets are high in fiber and promote the growth of good bacteria in your gut.
Love beetroot? Try these beetroot kebabs that are guilt-free and delicious.
What To Pair With This Feta Beetroot Salad
Pair this beet salad with a healthy protein like:
Looking for seafood? Try:
- Panko crusted cod
- Pesto crusted salmon
- Browned butter salmon
- Easy fish cakes
- Pan-fried prawns and peppers
Some vegetarian soup options would be:
Click here for more soup recipes.
More Salads
- Italian pasta salad with balsamic dressing
- Roasted pumpkin quinoa salad
- Easy Italian quinoa salad
- Creamy veggie chicken salad
Click here for more salads.
Beetroot Walnut Feta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium Beetroots (or 6 small ones)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Mix-ins
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 head baby romaine
- 1 large onion
- a few stalks of parsley
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled/ cubed
Roasted garlic dressing
- 6 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
STEP BY STEP IMAGES
Scroll back to find detailed recipe photos!
Instructions
Roast beetroot and garlic
- Preheat the oven to 210°C/410°F.
- Peel and dice the beets into 1½ inch cubes.4 medium Beetroots (or 6 small ones)
- In a small bowl, mix seasoning ingredients.½ teaspoon chili flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the seasoning and toss until all the cubes of beetroot are coated. Mix in unpeeled garlic cloves.6 cloves garlic
- Spread out the beets and garlic in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Toast walnuts
- Once cooked, remove the roasted beetroot and garlic from the oven. Turn off the oven.
- Spread out walnuts in a baking tray and place in the warm oven for 5 to 7 minutes. The walnuts will turn out toasty and crunchy.¼ cup walnuts
Make roasted garlic dressing
- Peel and mash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork.
- Whisk together mashed garlic with the rest of the ingredients.½ teaspoon chili flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Toss the salad
- Tear the lettuce leaves and place them on a plate. Thinly slice the onion and spread them on the lettuce. Sprinkle chopped parsley.1 head baby romaine, 1 large onion, a few stalks of parsley
- Add roasted beetroot. Add half the dressing and toss.
- Top with toasted walnuts and crumbled feta.¼ cup feta cheese
- When it’s time to serve, drizzle the rest of the dressing and toss well.
Video
Notes
- Beetroot: Choose ones that are firm with smooth undamaged skin. An easier method is to use precooked/canned beets. But I don’t prefer them since you’ll lose out on the amazing flavors of spicy roasted beetroot.
- Feta: You can buy a block or use the bottled flavored cubes of feta.
- Walnuts: Toast raw walnuts or use toasted/ baked ones. You might want to chop them into smaller chunks. I like to chop up half of them while leaving some whole.
- Lettuce: I prefer baby romaine since it has the most health benefits. You can use others like iceberg, arugula or butterhead or a mix of salad leaves.
- Spices: Roasted garlic provides a lot of flavor so you’ll need only chili flakes, salt and pepper to add spice to the salad.
- Herbs: I’ve used dried basil and fresh parsley here. You can use any dried or fresh herbs you have on hand (like oregano, dill, mint, or cilantro).
- Oil: I’ve used 2 types: extra virgin olive oil for the dressing and regular one for roasting the beetroot. This is because extra virgin olive oil loses some of its nutrients when heated.
- The dressing will be thick since I’ve tried to limit the oil used. It’s okay. Once you toss everything well, the dressing will get mixed and absorbed into the salad. You can add a couple of teaspoons more oil to the dressing if you’re not worried about a few more calories.
- Onions: If you don’t like the sharp bite of raw onions, try this hack to quickly soften the onions.
- Tossing: If you don’t mind the feta and walnuts turning pink, you don’t have to layer the salad and add the dressing in stages as above. Just dump everything in a bowl, add the dressing and toss!
★★★★★Did you try this recipe? Please give a star rating in the comments below ★★★★★
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Frankly , beet has been my least favorite root vegetable always, but not anymore after trying this awesome salad that hits you with a great blend of flavors. Great details too that makes it so engaging while you are at it . Thank you for this.
Thank you, Jesslyn. I’m glad you started liking beets after trying out this salad 🙂
This looks wonderful and is going on my New Year’s ‘to try’ list! Thanks for posting it.
Thanks, Susan! A very Happy New Year to you and please let me know how it turned out for you!