This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This citrusy roasted beet salad is a delicious tangle of crunch, vibrant color and flavor. I love that it’s virtually overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables. Roasted beets are a natural match with tangy goat cheese and a honey-kissed vinaigrette dressing.

A large white salad bowl filled with orange and red roasted beets, blood orange, tangerine and orange segments and salad greens.

Using my basic method for roasted root vegetables, I cut carrots and beets sliced into different shapes, along with a colorful variety of citrus, greens, chickpeas and chopped pistachios to finish if off.

Beets taste great, but I think they can be intense if served all by themselves in a salad. Like my crunchy fresh carrot salad with almonds, they really shine when they’re paired with citrus fruits and tangy soft goat cheese.

Roasted beets make a bright and beautiful salad. Is it a beautiful coincidence that both beets and citrus fruits come in a kaleidoscope of colors, like sunset orange, deep crimson and magenta?

Sometimes you gotta give Mother Nature a round of applause. Not only that, but they pair so well with each other! Beets have an intense, earthy sweetness that marries perfectly with acid in every form, which citrus fruits are happy to deliver.

The dressing for this roasted beet salad recipe contains a vibrant combo of lime and orange juices, each one delivering differing levels of sweetness and acidity.

Beets and goat cheese

You can use any soft goat cheese in this citrus beet salad, but I also love a good semi-aged goat cheese with a white rind (such as Bucheron) that has a slightly nutty flavor. Feta cheese made from goat’s milk or sheep milk would be great in this salad, too!

My tips and tricks

To make pretty citrus segments, use a small, very sharp knife to slice off the top and bottom ends of the fruit so it sits flat on your cutting board. Run the knife closely along the flesh of the fruit from top to bottom to shave off the skin (be sure to get most of the white pitch). Hold the fruit in one hand over a bowl, while inserting the knife in between the membrane of each segment, pushing out the segment as you go. Save the juice!
When I find yellow or golden beets, I choose them because they’re milder and less earthy-tasting than the red ones. It’s your call —If you’re a full-on beet fan, make the salad with red ones or a mixture of colors.
If you have a high-powered blender, use it to make a creamier, emulsified dressing.
Use a sharp, sturdy vegetable peeler to make thin carrot ribbons.
To make this in less time, skip the roasting step for the chips and shavings and toss the raw beet rounds and carrot ribbons into the salad.