Mary’s Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Pickled Montmorency Sour Cherries and Cherry Port Vinaigrette
Growing up, my mom was always good at making sure we got our vegetables in. There was a salad at every meal (usually at the end of the meal) and she often made beets with thinly sliced onion and a homemade vinaigrette. It’s hard to get kids to like beets, but my mom did it!
I love this healthy salad recipe because I get to add the beets right into the salad. I love the combination of golden beets and red beets here because they make the end product so colorful and tantalizing. My mother never added fruit to a salad, but I think she’d approve of this one. Chocked full of flavor, yet beautifully balanced, I bet this one will be a winner at your house, too.
How to Make the Perfect Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
1: Roast Your Beets Separately So the Colors Don’t Mix
When you’re using red beets, chances are some other things are going to turn red in the process. That’s just the way it is! In this Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Pickled Cherries recipe, however, we want to try and mitigate their tendency to dye everything in their wake. Here’s the most important thing you can do: Make sure to roast the beets separately from one another. If you roast them together, the red beets are sure to stain the golden ones.
2. Use Pickled Montmorency Sour Cherries as a Topping
Beets, greens, and goat cheese are a tried and true combination. The savory, creamy flavor of chevre is the undeniably perfect complement to a sweet, earthy beet. But if you thought it couldn’t get any better, think again. The pickled cherries in my recipe offer an unexpected smack of deliciousness. You’ll use dried Montmorency sour cherries and quick-pickle them in red wine vinegar, ground fennel, and a touch of honey. You’ll never go back, I swear!
Just one last little note regarding the fennel:
Just one last little note: If you only have whole fennel seeds on hand, that’s fine. Just make sure you grind them with a mortar and pestle or in a small spice grinder before using them in this recipe.
Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Pickled Cherries
Ingredients
- 1 large golden beet
- 1 large red beet
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ⅔ cup pickled sour cherries (recipe below)
- 6 cups baby arugula
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- ⅔ cup dried sour cherries
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground fennel or fennel pollen; see note below
- ½ cup pure cherry juice
- 2 tablespoons ruby port wine
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- To roast the beets: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut two 10-inch square pieces of aluminum foil. Place one beet in the center of each piece of foil. Drizzle each with a teaspoon of olive oil.
- Wrap the foil around the beets and place on a baking sheet. Roast until a paring knife easily goes through the beets, about 1 hour to 1¼ hours depending on the beet size. The golden beet may roast faster than the red beet. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- To pickle the cherries: In a saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, water, red wine vinegar, and fennel. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. The cherries can be used immediately or cooled to room temperature and refrigerated for up to one week.
- To prepare the vinaigrette: Place the cherry juice, port wine, and honey together in a small saucepan. Simmer on low heat until reduced by half. The mixture should be slightly syrupy. It will thicken more as it cools. Be careful as this mixture can reduce fairly quickly. Let cool before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Transfer the cooled cherry port reduction into a bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, Dijon mustard, and garlic, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Now it’s time to start putting everything together! Place the roasted beets under cool water and remove the skins. The skin may come off just by using your hands but feel free to use a paring knife for a little extra help. Thinly slice or cube the beets.
- In a large bowl, combine the arugula, drained pickled cherries, and goat cheese. Drizzle with enough of the dressing to just coat the salad. Leftover dressing can be served on the side or refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Divide the salad evenly among 6 salad plates or transfer it all to a large serving platter. Arrange the beets on top of the salad and serve.
Notes
Just one last little note: If you only have whole fennel seeds on hand, that’s fine. Just make sure you grind them with a mortar and pestle or in a small spice grinder before using them in this recipe.