Golden Beet Salad with Creamy Goat Cheese

The earthy taste of the roasted beets is utterly delicious in this Roasted Golden Beet Salad with creamy goat cheese. Candied cardamom walnuts top the salad for a flavor and crunch that will both surprise and delight your taste buds.

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2015. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

Have a got a fantastic recipe for you today if you're a fan of beets! Red beets or golden beets, they'll both work wonderfully well in this recipe for Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Creamy Goat Cheese and Candied Cardamom Walnuts! I know, right?

The inspiration for this cold beet salad comes from a cookbook I purchased while we were on a recent trip to San Francisco.

This was the first time I'd ever been to San Francisco, and I was super excited to visit the city, and, of course, the iconic Fisherman's Wharf. Our time there was brief, but the beautiful vistas and delicious food made a huge impact on me, and now I'm anxious to plan our return trip.

The cookbook I purchased while on our trip is called: "The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook," and the recipe that I took my inspiration from can be found on pages 85 and 86, It's called Beets with Blue Cheese and Candied Walnuts.

The changes I've made to the original recipe are these:  I've used golden beets in place of red beets (I find they're neater to work with). I've swapped out the goat cheese for the blue cheese (my husband isn't a big fan of blue cheese), and I added cardamom to the candied walnuts, which is one of the best calls I've made in a long, long time.

The taste of the candied cardamom walnuts alone will knock your socks off! So much so that I'm planning another recipe around those alone! Trust me when I tell you... they're incredible!!!

ROASTED COLD BEET SALAD   {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Yield: 4 cups    Prep and Cook Time:  90 minutes (includes roasting time)  Chill Time: 4 hours

To make the walnuts:
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons water
1 cup unsalted walnut pieces
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cardamom

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Place the first 3 ingredients into a small saucepan over medium/low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
-Add the walnuts to a small bowl along with the salt. Pour the melted butter and sugar mixture over the walnuts and stir to combine. Spread the nuts out onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the nuts with the cardamom.
-Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Break the nuts into pieces and store them in a ziptop bag in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.

To make the roasted beet salad:
5-6 medium-sized beets (red or golden)
Aluminum foil
1 large shallot, minced
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch black pepper
2 ounces goat cheese

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

-Trim the greens and root ends from the beets and discard those bits. Wash the beets well under running water. Wrap each trimmed beet in a piece of aluminum foil. Roast in a preheated oven until fork tender (approximately 45-50 minutes). *Note - You'll have to unwrap the beets to test their doneness. 

-While the beets are roasting, place the shallot, vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon into a small, lidded container, and shake well to combine. Set aside until ready to assemble the salad.

-Remove and unwrap the cooked beets and allow them to cool until you're able to handle them. Once cooled, use a paring knife (or your fingers) to remove the skins from the beets. Slice the roasted beets into ¼" slices and place them into a medium bowl. Pour the apple cider vinegar mixture over the beets and stir well to combine. Place the dressed beets into the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.

-When ready to serve, top the chilled beets with the crumbled goat cheese and the candied cardamom walnuts. Sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper and serve cold.

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