Whole oven roasted beets with goat cheese is a classic combo. Toss them in a citrusy orange vinaigrette and then you've really got some flavor! This is an easy, beautiful side dish that can be made ahead.
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Let's roast some beets whole in the oven. When they come out they'll have a beautiful texture, and be pretty to look at, too. But what next?
Beets are earthy and sweet, so they pair well with other slightly sweet, bright, and acidic things like goat cheese, citrus, vinegars, and herbs, so let's use all of them!
The flavors in this side dish work as well in the spring as they do in late summer and early fall so I hope you'll enjoy it often. It's perfect for potlucks because the longer the beets sit in the vinaigrette, the better their flavor!
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Ingredients
- Beets: Choose firm, small to medium beets that are heavy for their size.
- Soft goat cheese: Such as chevre.
- Orange juice and zest: You know I never leave zest behind. This will be the centerpiece of our vinaigrette dressing.
- Real maple syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil
- Fresh mint
- Kosher salt
Instructions
Adapted from Food & Wine.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the leaves and stems from the beets. (But don't throw them out! Keep them and cook them! Use them to make Sautéed Beet Greens with Garlic and Crushed Red Pepper.)
Using a vegetable peeler or a small paring knife, peel the beets.
Add ½ cup water to a Dutch oven with an oven-proof lid, then nestle the beets together in the bottom. If you have one or two that are much larger than the others, cut it in half or thirds so that they are all closer to the same size.
Don't cut them too much though, you want them to cook evenly and you want them large enough to be cut into wedges once they are roasted.
Drizzle the beets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for about one hour, until you can easily run a knife through the roasted beets.
Disclosure: am a part of the Lodge Cast Iron Blogging Partners Program. This Dutch oven was provided to me free of charge by Lodge Cast Iron. All opinions are my own.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Using a Microplane grater, zest the orange.
Add zest to a small bowl with the olive oil, orange juice, cider vinegar, maple syrup and salt. Whisk to combine.
Remove the roasted beets from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle but while they are still warm, slice into wedges and toss with the orange vinaigrette.
Let the beets stand at room temperature in the dressing for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with goat cheese and mint.
Tips
- It's very important to add the dressing to the roasted beets while they are still warm because they will absorb some of the dressing and have a much better flavor.
- Wait until just before serving to tear the mint leaves, otherwise they may discolor around the edges.
FAQs
Do you have to peel the beets before roasting?
Technically no, but I find that the peels can be hard to remove once they are roasted. I prefer to use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler to peel the beets before I roast them.
Can you make this ahead?
The beets can be roasted and tossed in the dressing one day ahead, then refrigerated. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stir to redistribute the dressing, then top with the goat cheese. Tear the mint leaves and sprinkle on top.
Related Recipes
More roasted vegetable side dishes to tempt your fancy!
- Crispy Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan and Garlic because is there anything better than crispy cauliflower?
- Roasted Vegetable Salad with Charred Lemon Vinaigrette uses the whole lemon in the dressing!
- Charred Broccoli with Calabrian Chili Paste, Feta, and Lemon Yogurt Sauce has just enough spice and just enough cool yogurt to balance things out.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios, Dates, and Lime keeps the brussels sprouts whole when roasting until they are just melting and luscious.
Recipe
Oven-Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese, Orange Vinaigrette, and Mint
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
- 2 lbs beets
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
Orange Vinaigrette and Toppings
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- zest of one orange
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 oz soft goat cheese such as chevre
- handful fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the leaves and stems from the beets and peel them.
- Add ½ cup water to the Dutch oven, then nestle the whole beets together in the bottom. If you have one or two that are much larger than the others, cut in half or thirds so that they are all closer to the same size, but leave them large enough to be cut into wedges once cooked.
- Drizzle the beets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for about one hour, until you can easily run a knife through the roasted beets.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Add orange zest to a small bowl with the olive oil, orange juice, cider vinegar, maple syrup and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Remove the roasted beets from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle but while they are still warm, slice into wedges and toss with the orange vinaigrette.
- Let the beets stand at room temperature in the dressing for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with goat cheese. Tear the mint leaves and sprinkle on top.
Notes
- If you bought the beets with the greens attached, don't throw them out! You can cook beet greens and eat them just like spinach or swiss chard.
- Peel beets just like you would an apple, working your way around them. Beets can be easily peeled with a good vegetable peeler.
- Be sure to use a Dutch oven that has an oven-proof lid. I used my Lodge cast iron Dutch oven for this recipe. It gives me nice even heat. Just remember that the lid handle gets hot! Use a pot holder!
- It’s very important to add the dressing to the roasted beets while they are still warm because they will absorb some of the dressing and have a much better flavor.
- Always use the zest of citrus if you're using the juice. Microplane graters are indispensable for this task.
- Wait until just before serving to tear the mint leaves, otherwise they may discolor around the edges.
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