Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Our New Year's Eve meal started with this salad, which pretty much guaranteed an awesome start to 2011. Roasted beets are such a treat because I rarely -- like almost never -- make them. But I think based on this salad, my resolution this year is clear: make more beets.


Beets are practically perfect roasted on their own really. Or with a side of sour cream and chives. But this salad took them to a new level. If you read through the recipe, you'll notice that there is no salad dressing to speak of, only a marinade of sorts for the beets. I worried that with no dressing on the salad, it would be dry, but the beets are so moist and flavourful and their warmth slightly melts the goat cheese, making it a perfect marriage of the warm beets, with the cool spinach, sweet goat cheese and tart marinade. Heaven.  


Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe
 Ingredients

• five medium sized roasted beets, chopped into large pieces
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp orange zest
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups spinach, washed and dried thoroughly
• 4 oz goat cheese

Directions

• In a bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, orange zest and salt and pepper. Add beets and toss to coat.
• On each plate, make a small bed of spinach. Top with 1/4 of warm beet mixture (if in the fridge, pop in the oven or microwave to warm) and sprinkle crumbled goat cheese on top.