Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Candied Walnuts

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with roasted balsamic beets and carrots, candied walnuts and a cranberry salad dressing is a festive salad that’s perfect for the holidays!

*This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with new text and photos and minor tweaks to the recipe. Scroll to the bottom to see an original photo.

Details on a few ingredients

Fresh beets: I peel and chop my beets for this recipe, which can be a bit messy. But I prefer to do it this way, instead of roasting them whole, because they cook so quickly. To minimize the mess, you can always use golden beets or candy cane beets which release less colour than red beets.

Carrots: It doesn’t matter about the size of the whole carrots, but you want to make sure you cut them all in the same size slices so they roast evenly.

Walnuts: These are candied with maple syrup and extra virgin olive oil to add a sweet and crunchy topping to the salad. It’s super easy and quick to do on the stove top.

Greens: I like to use a mix of spinach and arugula in this salad as the tender greens pair nicely with the hearty root vegetables. If you prefer firmer greens such as kale or swiss chard, they work too.

Goat cheese: The tangy flavour and creamy texture of goat cheese pairs beautifully with beets. If you prefer a dairy-free salad, you can leave it out. 

Cranberry salad dressing: This is my favourite salad dressing for this salad. It’s tart, savoury and sweet, and requires just five ingredients. 

How to roast beets and carrots

• Preheat your oven to 425F. I find the higher temperature works best for root vegetables like beets and carrots. They get browned and tender quickly but they don’t burn.

• Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.

• Peel and chop your beets into 1/2-inch cubes, and peel and slice your carrots into 1/2-inch thick slices. Cutting them all roughly the same size will ensure they cook evenly.

• To ensure they’re well coated, I like to season my beets and carrots in a bowl before adding them to the baking sheet. I also season them in separate bowls to prevent the red beets from discolouring the carrots.

• Arrange the veggies on the prepared baking sheet. Again, I usually separate the beets and carrots, but that’s optional.

• Use a large baking sheet to ensure the pan isn’t overcrowded with veggies. If the beets and carrots are crowded together, they’ll end up steaming instead of roasting.

• At 425F, the veggies should be done in about 30-35 minutes. The beets may take a little longer, so feel free to remove the carrots from the pan and continue roasting the beets for a few extra minutes.

• You’ll want to flip the veggies at least once while roasting to ensure they’re cooking evenly and not burning.

How to candy walnuts

• In a small bowl, add the walnuts, maple syrup and oil, and stir together until the walnuts are coated.

• Add to a greased skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly, until a sugary coating forms around the walnuts.

• Cooking over a medium-low heat and stirring constantly are key to preventing the walnuts from burning. 

• When they’re done, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and separate the walnuts before they cool and clump together.

• Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Assembling the salad

• You can make this salad in one large bowl or divide the ingredients onto four small plates.

• Start with your greens and then layer on the beets, carrots, quinoa, walnuts and goat cheese (if using).

• You can either mix in the salad dressing, drizzle it on top or serve it on the side.

Frequently asked questions

How should you store the leftover salad? If you’ve mixed the salad together with the dressing, I would try to eat it all right away as leftovers will not store well. The salad dressing will make the other ingredients a bit soggy and the walnuts may soften a bit too. If you think you’ll have leftovers, just assemble individual salads and the store the remaining ingredients separately in the refrigerator. (Except for the walnuts, which should be stored at room temperature).

Can I make this roasted beet salad in advance? If you’d like to meal prep or make this salad in advance, just prepare all the ingredients and store them separately in the refrigerator (except the walnuts) for 2-3 days and assemble the salad when ready to enjoy.

How do you reheat leftover roasted balsamic beets and carrots? Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and reheat in the oven at 425F for 4-5 minutes.

Additional recipe tips and substitutions

• If you want to change up the recipe, you can use golden or candy cane beets. They have the same roasting time, so they’re easily interchangeable.

• You can also try air frying the beets and carrots instead of roasting them.

• If you don’t want your carrots to turn pink, I would avoid mixing the carrots and beets together. Keep them separate when seasoning and roasting.

• The quinoa is added for heartiness. You can leave it out, or replace it with rice or lentils if you prefer.

• I usually add crumbled goat cheese to the top of the salad, but to keep this salad dairy-free, just leave it out.

Other roasted beet recipes you might enjoy

• Roasted Beet Hummus with white beans

• Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with warm kale

• Beet Hummus Asparagus Tart with almond crust

If you make this roasted beet and carrot salad, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Candied Walnuts

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with roasted balsamic beets and carrots, candied walnuts and a cranberry salad dressing is a festive salad that’s perfect for the holidays!

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Ingredients

For the roasted beets and carrots:

• 2 cups chopped beets (1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 cups sliced carrots (1/2-inch thick)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the candied walnuts:

• 1 cup raw walnut halves
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

For the salad:

• 6 cups arugula and/or spinach
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup goat cheese

Cranberry salad dressing

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Instructions

1. Roast the beets and carrots: Preheat oven to 425F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the beets and carrots in separate bowls. Divide the vinegar, oil and seasonings between the two bowls and toss to combine. Spread the beets and carrots out on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until fork tender. Flip them once or twice to ensure they brown evenly and don’t burn.
2. Candy the walnuts: In a small bowl, add the walnuts, maple syrup and oil. Stir until walnuts are coated. Grease a skillet and add the walnuts. Cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring constantly, until a sugary coating forms around the walnuts. Transfer the walnuts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and separate the walnuts before they cool and clump together. Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
3. Assemble the salad: Start with your greens and then layer on the beets, carrots, quinoa, walnuts and goat cheese. You can either mix in the salad dressing, drizzle it on top or serve it on the side

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Notes

1. Cutting the beets and carrots in roughly the same size will ensure they cook evenly. If you cut them into larger pieces, you’ll need to increase the roasting time.
2. To ensure they’re well coated, I like to season my beets and carrots in a bowl before adding them to the baking sheet. I also season them in separate bowls to prevent the red beets from discolouring the carrots.
3. Use a large baking sheet to ensure the pan isn’t overcrowded. If you crowd the beets and carrots, they’ll end up steaming instead of roasting.
4. I usually separate the beets and carrots on the baking sheet to prevent the carrots from turning pink from the beets.
5. The beets may take a little longer to roast, so feel free to remove the carrots from the pan and continue roasting them for a few minutes.
6. You can make this salad in one large bowl or divide the ingredients onto four small plates.
7. I usually add crumbled goat cheese to the top of the salad, but to keep this salad dairy-free, just leave it out.
8. Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.

Keywords: beet salad, roasted beet salad, balsamic roasted beets