Want a salad to impress anytime of the year, for any occasion? Then whip up this oh so tasty and colourful Roasted Beetroot, Pumpkin + Goats Cheese Salad.
There is such a freshness about this salad. The rich colours of this dish draw everyone’s attention, it’s incredibly easy to prepare and tastes delicious!
If you have been around for a while you will know how much I love the flavour of roasted vegetables. There is a sweetness that comes from the veggies that you don’t get when you steam or boil them. And root vegetables most certainly work best for this.
There is some time in the preparation but this is only in the time it takes to roast the veggies. The assembly is super quick and it really is a no-fuss dish that will leave your guests or hosts suitably impressed.
Many people are a little put off when you say goats cheese but honestly the tartness pairs so well with the sweetness of roasted veg and the spiciness of the mustard dressing.
The walnuts add some texture and crunch. I love a salad with different tastes and textures, makes them so much more delightful to eat!
This Roasted Beetroot Pumpkin + Goats Cheese Salad is also quite good for you liver.
Beetroot is one the veggies that the liver loves and I will often encourage my clients to include this in their diets if their liver needs a little love. With the increase in today’s livers stressors, I’m finding this to be a common prescription for many of the clients I see. These liver stressors can come from the environments in which we live, the quality of the air (or should that be lack of quality of the air), to the lotions we put on our skin to the food + drink that we consume. All of which can add to the detoxification that our livers have to do.
Mustard is also amazing for stimulating the liver + particularly our bile flow, which helps our bodies breakdown + use the fats which we eat. Rocket is also good for this vital organ so if your salad mix includes this you are giving it another great little boost.
This is a nutritious salad that’s full of essential vitamins, minerals, with protien + plenty of fibre.
The best salads are a combination of flavours, textures and colours – and with golden roasted pumpkin, earthy beetroot, crunchy walnuts, creamy goat cheese + zingy mustard dressing, this salad ticks all the boxes.
This Roasted Beetroot Pumpkin + Goats Cheese Salad is truly a gift to the tastebuds and your eyes. Make it for yourself or to impress guests!
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What Do I Need?
- 4 Cups of Mixed Salad Leaves
- 4 Medium Beetroots
- 1 Medium Butternut Pumpkin
- 180g of Goats Cheese, cut into 1cm thick rounds
- 80g of Walnuts, chopped
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mustard Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon of Honey
- Water, as needed
Let’s Do This!
1. Heat the oven to 200c.
2. Top and tail the beetroot. Tear off 4 strips of foil twice as wide as the beetroot. Rub one side with a little oil and place one beetroot onto each foil, on the oiled side. Wrap each beetroot up, ensuring they are well sealed. Pop in the oven on the middle shelf. You can pop these on a tray if you wish, I put mine straight onto the wire rack. Roast for 45 minutes or until soft.
3. Take the skin off the pumpkin and cut the pumpkin into cubes. These are around 2cm but don’t worry too much about keeping them even, I think it looks better a little rustic. Put this into a foil lined tin and toss it with olive oil making sure it’s well covered. Pop it into the oven with the beetroot. Cook for 15 minutes, toss around and place back in for 10-15 minutes until soft and caramelised.
4. Once the beetroot + the pumpkin is cooked remove the pumpkin but leave the beetroot in the oven with the door open a little whilst it’s cooling. This usually takes around an hour. Now you can take it straight out + head to step 5 if you don’t have the time to leave it cool in the oven. I like to give the pumpkin another little toss around as its cooling to make sure it doesn’t stick to the foil as it cools.
*Whilst you are waiting for the pumpkin + beetroot to cook/cool you can toast your walnuts + make the dressing.
5. Once the beetroot has cooled remove it from the foil (if you skipped the cooling part do this carefully as it will be HOT!). Now if you are worried about the red of beetroot staining your fingers grab some gloves. You can literally just squeeze the skin off the beetroot. If it’s still hot this will take a little more peeling. Cut into cubes roughly the same size as the pumpkin.
6. Heat a medium non-stick fry pan over medium heat + add the walnuts. Toss these around for about 7-10 minutes until they are just toasted.
7. Remove the walnuts and add the goats cheese. Cook for 5 minutes then turn + cook for another 5 minutes or until both sides are golden.
8. Put all the dressing ingredients, except the water into a small bowl + mix together. Add teaspoons of water to the dressing until it is runny.
9. Not you can assemble your salad. Chuck your leaves into a dish + cover with the beetroot + pumpkin. Spoon over half the mustard dressing. Cut each goats cheese round in half + add to the salad. Sprinkle with walnuts + cover with the rest of the dressing.
Enjoy!!!
This serves 4 people as a meal. I added half an avocado to mine. Or can be served as a side dish with chicken, lamb or salmon.
This recipe is gluten and dairy free + SIBO (phase 2) friendly.