Golden beets beckoned me at the farmer’s market this week and star in this flavorful fall salad. Oven-roasted beets are paired with an interesting blueberry encrusted chèvre(Trader Joe’s) that I knew would look great with the beets. The salad was simply topped with thin slivers of red onion, crunchy caramelized maple hazelnuts, long slivers of lemon peel, a handful of pomegranate seeds and some fresh basil leaves. A drizzle of each, blood orange infused olive oil and orange muscat champagne vinegar made this salad and my heart, sing!
Golden Beet and Blueberry Chèvre Salad with Caramelized Maple Hazelnuts
- 5 large golden beets
- 1/2 teapoon ground sumac
- coarse zest of a lemon
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- 3 very thin slices of red onion, separated
- 1/2 cup blueberry-encrusted chèvre(Trader Joe)
- 3 tablespoonsbasil leaves, finely cut
To roast the beets, preheat the oven to 400F. Scrub the beets clean and leave an inch of stem on the top and the full root. Wrap the beets in a foil packet. Place on the lower rack of the oven and roast for an hour. Turn off the oven and leave the beets to cool for several hours, or overnight. Peel the beets by running your hands against the peel and cut off the stem and root. On a rimmed platter, cut the beets in bite-sized chunks. Sprinkle with sumac, if you have it. If not, use a bit more lemon zest.
To caramelized the hazelnuts: In a skillet, heat 1 T olive oil, add the hazelnuts and stir constantly until the nuts are fragrant, about a minute. Add 1 T maple syrup, stir to coat and cook another minute stirring constantly. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread on a piece of parchment to cool. Make sure the nuts do not touch so they don’t clump together.
Assembly: On top of the beets, add thin slices of red onion. Top, in this order, with the blueberry goat cheese, the lemon zest, the pomegranate seeds, and the maple hazelnuts. Drizzle with blood orange olive oil and another drizzle of orange champagne vinegar. Finish with a scattering of chiffonade cut basil leaves.

Illustration of a woman harvesting beets, from the late 1300s Tacuinum Sanitatis, a medieval European health handbook. (nawalcooking.blogspot.com)
That’s happiness right there!!!! Your recipe makes me wanna go to Trader Joe’s and get some supplies! Roasted beets, perfect for fall. Thank you kindly for sharing. Have a lovely night, Koko❀
Your comment made my day Koko! So glad you have a TJ. That blueberry goat cheese is an exciting new flavor. Glad you liked the salad.
Sent from my iPad
>
I am totally gonna get some of that goat cheese too! Looks so good. Wish we were neighbors, i’d boldly invite myself over for some! Hahahaha….enjoy your evening!❀
I just adore roasted beets! I love the combinations you use here…delicious 🙂
Me too Antonia! I like beet salad that is all beet without greens. Wish I could share some with you!
Sent from my iPad
>
Me too Johanne 🙂
A show stopper salad Johanne!
Jenna
It was so good I had more than my fair share Jenna! Those hazelnuts! Should not count as a salad ingredient!
Sent from my iPad
>
Johanne, this salad looks amazing! I love the all of the flavors and textures. I am drooling over those maple hazelnuts!
Thise maple hazelnuts should be outlawed Julie! soooo decadent in a salad!
Sent from my iPad
>
Seriously, I just need to come live at your house! I’ll be your sous chef and wash the dishes. This looks amazing!
Come over! We’ll have a grand old time!!!! I’ve even got e couple of frozen tourtières waiting too! And I’ll make you this salad too:-)
Sent from my iPad
>
I love roasted golden beets and everything else in this salad sounds and looks great too!
Thank you Caroline. I love golden beets too and get them whenever I can find them!
Sent from my iPad
>
Pingback: 15 Salads For Summer | French Gardener Dishes
Pingback: Berry~licious! 17 Luscious Recipes | French Gardener Dishes