This quick-to-prepare salad features roasted beets complemented by dollops of honey and orange-infused ricotta cheese. Enjoy it chilled or at room temperature for a delightful burst of flavors.
Roasted Beet Salad with Ricotta
Adding creamy cheese to a roasted beet salad is universally adored. My friend, food blogger, and cookbook author Erin Clarke from Well Plated, articulates it perfectly: “There isn’t a recipe that wouldn’t benefit from clouds of lightly sweetened, citrus-kissed ricotta generously dolloped over the top.” She knows her salads, having crafted this delightful and easy beet salad recipe.
This particular beet salad is a gem from Erin’s cookbook, “The Well Plated Cookbook: Fast, Healthy Recipes You’ll Want to Eat—again and again and again.” Packed with effortless, family-friendly recipes, it’s the go-to cookbook for creating memorable weeknight meals year-round.
Scanning through Erin’s cookbook after roasting a batch of beets, this salad recipe immediately grabbed my attention. The harmonious blend of earthy beets with tangy cheese is one of my culinary favorites, evident in the six beet salad variations already on my blog—making this the lucky number seven. What can I say? I’m hooked. While I relish crafting salads like my goat cheese and avocado beet salad, the sheer ease and swiftness of preparing this cheesy ricotta topping have truly upped my salad-making game.
Ingredients for This Roasted Beet Salad
The roasted beets harmonize perfectly with the ricotta topping infused with honey and orange zest, adding a delightful Mediterranean touch, especially with the addition of mint sprinkled on top. When stored separately, the components make it easy to prep this salad in advance, assembling it just before serving at room temperature or chilled.
Here’s what you’ll need:
– Fresh beets: Opt for red, orange, yellow, or a mix.
– Ricotta cheese: Full-fat offers a creamier texture, but if you’re mindful of fat and calories, part-skim ricotta works splendidly too.
– Orange: Utilize both its zest and juice.
– Honey
– Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
– Extra virgin olive oil
– White wine vinegar: Alternatively, golden balsamic or rice wine vinegar can be substituted.
– Fresh mint
How to Prepare Roasted Beets
Roasting beets in the oven brings out their inherent caramelized sweetness, and luckily, it’s a simple and hassle-free process.
– Select beets of similar sizes for even cooking. Beets come in various colors but share the same flavor profile, so feel free to opt for a mix of colors.
– No need to peel the beets beforehand. Trim the greens and ends, scrub them thoroughly, and ensure they’re dry. The skin acts as a protective layer and aids in steaming the beets while baking.
– Toss the beets in olive oil, then roast them at 450°F. Instead of wrapping each beet in foil, toss them in oil, season with salt, and place them together in a foil-wrapped baking dish. They’re ready when a sharp knife easily pierces through the largest beet. This generally takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour.
– Use paper towels to remove the beet peel. Instead of using a knife, take two paper towels (one for each hand) and gently rub the skin away from the tender beet. If the skin doesn’t come off easily, the beet needs more cooking time.
The Dressing
Crafting this uncomplicated beet dressing is quick and effortless due to its minimal ingredients. Whisk together the orange juice, extra virgin olive oil, and vinegar along with salt and pepper. Drizzle this concoction over the roasted beets, allowing them to absorb the dressing while they rest.
This recipe suggests using the smoother taste of white wine vinegar, but you can seamlessly swap it out for golden balsamic or rice wine vinegar.
For a zestier twist, opt for fresh mint, lending a vibrant Mediterranean essence. Alternatively, experiment with fresh basil, tarragon, or thyme leaves.
To streamline your preparation on the day of serving, whip up the dressing beforehand—up to a week in advance.
The Sweetened Ricotta Topping
This savory salad features delightful dollops of sweetened ricotta cheese. Simply whisk together fresh orange zest and honey until thoroughly blended. Enhance the sweetness with a pinch of kosher salt.
For added convenience, you can prepare the ricotta mixture ahead of time, making it up to 1 day in advance.
How to Assemble this Roasted Beet and Ricotta Salad
To dress the beets, use separate bowls if you’re working with different beet colors to avoid one color overpowering the others.
Divide the mint, allocating portions for both the dressing and garnishing purposes. Fresh herbs are a great way to elevate the presentation of any salad.
Spoon generous dollops of the ricotta mixture onto the combined beets. Enhance the appearance with additional grated orange zest and a sprinkle of extra kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to suit your taste. If you desire more sweetness, consider a quick drizzle of honey. Alternatively, spread the ricotta mixture at the base of your serving dish or plate, and arrange the dressed roasted beets on top.
Roasted Beet Salad with Ricotta
and orange zest flavor ricotta cheese dolloped on sweet roasted beets
in an easy, flavorful dressing that makes a healthy side dish beet salad
that tastes great warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Beets
- 2 pounds medium-sized fresh beets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
For the Salad
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, divided
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Instructions
For the Roasted Beets
-
Preheat
the oven to 450°F. Cut the greens from the tops of the beets, saving
for another use, then trim the bottom of the stems, and discard. Scrub
the beets under cold water, pat dry with a paper towel, and place in a
bowl. Toss with the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper.Place
the beets in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour
for large beets, or about 45 min for medium. The beets will be done
when you can easily slide a sharp knife into their tender centers. Set
aside to cool enough to handle.To
peel, trim the ends and use a paper towel in each hand to rub off the
skins. If you don’t want your hands to get red, wear plastic gloves. -
Slice
the beets into wedges, thick rounds, or half moons. If using two colors
of beets, place the cut beets in separate mixing bowls. If using the
same color, add to the same mixing bowl. -
To
make the honey ricotta mixture, in a small mixing bowl stir together
the ricotta, 1 tablespoon of the orange zest, honey, and ¼ teaspoon of
the salt. Set aside. -
Make
the dressing in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together the orange juice,
extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, freshly ground black pepper, and 1
tablespoon of the mint with ¾ teaspoon salt. Drizzle over the beets and
toss, dividing the dressing if using two different colors beets. -
Plate
the dressed beets on a platter or in a serving dish. Top with dollops
of the honey ricotta and the remaining mint and orange zest. Sprinkle
with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately or
refrigerate until ready to serve.
