Arugula Salad With Beets and Goat Cheese

EASY healthy, Arugula Salad with Beets, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts! With a simple lemon vinaigrette. Perfect combo!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated January 20, 2023
Elise Bauer
Arugula Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Elise Bauer

Winter in California is the season for peppery arugula. Several years ago my parents planted some arugula in their garden and for years the arugula would re-seed itself, taking over the entire garden with a flourish, starting in December.

While mature arugula can be almost too intense to eat raw (best for left for cooking), young baby arugula is perfect for salads, and can easily be found in markets these days.

In this recipe the goat cheese mellows the pepperiness of the arugula, while the beets offer a sweet contrast to the arugula's bitter notes. Chopped toasted walnuts add a meaty crunch to the salad.

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese in a bowl
Elise Bauer

Arugula Salad With Beets and Goat Cheese

Prep Time 10 mins
Cooking the Beets 60 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 2 servings

The amount of ingredients shown is just a guideline for two servings. The actual amounts depend on how much salad per serving you want.

* To roast beets, scrub raw beets clean, coat with a little olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast in 400°F oven for 1 to 2 hours, until fork tender

** To boil beets, scrub raw beets clean, put in small pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 min to an hour, until fork tender

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

  • 2 medium beets, cooked (roasted* or boiled**) until a fork easily goes in one (about an hour), peeled, diced into bite-sized pieces

  • 2 handfuls (about 2.5 ounces) fresh baby arugula

  • 4 tablespoons goat cheese (about 1.5 ounces)

  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1/4 teaspoon dry powdered mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Method

  1. Make the vinaigrette:

    Place dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to emulsify. Adjust ingredients to taste.

  2. Assemble the salad:

    according to how much you want. Compose each dish with a handful of arugula leaves, a few cooked chopped beets, some crumbled goat cheese, and some chopped toasted walnuts.

  3. Drizzle the salad with vinaigrette:

    (You may have a little extra vinaigrette.)

Links:

From Seed to Salad Bowl in Less than a Month - Farm Girl demonstrates how easy it is to grow arugula.

Roasted Balsamic Beets here on Simply Recipes

Pickled Beets here on Simply Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
383 Calories
35g Fat
13g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 383
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 45%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 697mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 10mg 49%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 449mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.