Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Orange Vinaigrette

These easy roasted beets with goat cheese are tossed in a citrusy orange vinaigrette while they're still warm from the oven, soaking up all that flavor! This is a beautiful side dish that can be made ahead.

Roasted beets with goat cheese is a classic choice, but let's liven things up by bathing them in a homemade orange vinaigrette and topping it all with fresh mint. We're going to roast the beets whole in the oven. When they come out they'll have a beautiful texture, and be pretty to look at, too.

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!

If you bought beets with the leaves attached, don't throw them out! Keep them and cook them! Use them to make this beet greens recipe!

Jump to:

• Try a new take on roasted beets with goat cheese
• Ingredients you'll need
• How to make roasted beets with goat cheese: Step by step instructions
• Tips for best results
• FAQ
• How to serve roasted beets with goat cheese and orange vinaigrette
• More roasted vegetable recipes
• Recipe

Try a new take on roasted beets with goat cheese

Yes, roasted beets with goat cheese...standard side dish. But what makes this recipe so great and different is the orange vinaigrette! It adds brightness and acidity and really complements the sweetness of the roasted beets.

• Roasted 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 we'll use them all!
• Oven roasting the peeled, whole beets in a Dutch oven with the lid on keeps them from drying out, enhances their sweetness, and yields a beautiful texture.
• Is it a salad or a side dish? Both!
• This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian. To make it vegan, just eliminate the goat cheese. It will still be a great tasting side dish. Replace with vegan cheese if you like!

Ingredients you'll need

• 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 citrus zest behind. This will be the centerpiece of our vinaigrette dressing.
• Real maple syrup
• Apple cider vinegar
• Olive oil
• Fresh mint
• Kosher salt

How to make roasted beets with goat cheese: Step by step instructions

Adapted from Food & Wine.

Step 1: Peel the beets

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the leaves and stems from the beets.

Using a vegetable peeler or a small paring knife, peel the beets.

Step 2: Make the roasted 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 roast for about one hour, until you can easily run a knife through them.

 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.

Step 3: Make the orange vinaigrette

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.

Step 4: Toss the warm roasted beets in the vinaigrette

Remove the 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 roasted beets stand at room temperature in the salad dressing for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5: Add the goat cheese and mint, serve!

Transfer roasted beets to a serving bowl and top with goat cheese and mint.

Tips for best results

• It's very important to add the dressing to the roasted beets while they are still warm because they will absorb some of the salad dressing and have a much better flavor.
• Wait until just before serving to tear the mint leaves, otherwise they may discolor around the edges.
• 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!
• Always use the zest of citrus if you're using the juice. Microplane graters are indispensable for this task. 

FAQ

How to serve roasted beets with goat cheese and orange vinaigrette

• Serve alongside roast chicken for a simple meal.
• The bright, citrus flavor of the dressing means it pairs well with slow cooker pulled pork.
• Include it on a buffet as part of a vegetarian feast!

More roasted vegetable recipes

I've got loads of 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.
• Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts keeps the brussels sprouts whole when roasting until they are just melting and luscious.

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