This simple but elegant Roasted Strawberry and Beet Salad is sure to impress. It’s a light, refreshing summer salad perfect as a side dish or light lunch!
Springtime and Mother’s Day are here along with the strawberry season, which, I love eating local juicy ripe strawberries that have hit the produce stands. I normally buy a gallon or more at a time and this time I purchased two gallons recently, and got home and thought, what to make with all these beautiful berries?
With some golden beets, blue cheese crumbles, and bacon on hand, I came up with the Roasted Strawberry Salad with Bacon and Golden Beets. I love making salads with fresh berries and savory root vegetables. The earthly root vegetable, like golden beets, which is my favorite, and sweet berries are a lovely match.
I had read many articles lately about roasting berries, so I decided I would roast the strawberries. The process softens them and makes the berry so concentrated that it bursts with an intense flavor in your mouth. It’s no wonder because the fruit goes back to the 13th century. The berries were valued for their therapeutic powers for almost any aliments. In modern times, it’s an excellent source of Vitamin C, potassium, and iron. Fresh strawberries are available year-round, but the peak season for our area in the southeast is mid-April through mid-June, so get them while they are available.
Back to making the salad, which my husband loved! Paul is more of a meat and pasta kind of guy, but when I come up with an entree salad, he is always amazed at how all the flavors can come together. He loved the Roasted Strawberry Salad with Bacon and Golden Beets topped with Blue Cheese, Marcona almonds, and fresh thyme. It’s a perfect salad for your Mother’s Day Brunch, dinner, or anytime.
Making The Salad
The salad is quite easy to make. First, find your fresh golden beets. I do love the golden beet over the red for its subtle rooty taste. The beets will need to be scrubbed, trimmed, and cut into wedges, so they are ready to be roasted. The beets take about 20 minutes or until tender. At the same time, prepare the strawberries on a baking sheet with parchment paper and roast for about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, make the vinaigrette. It’s simple, by putting all the ingredients in a bowl and whisking until emulsified. Toast the delicious Marcona almonds (the Queen of almonds from Spain) lightly and let cool. As far as the blue cheese, I love the Italian Gorgonzola Blue Cheese, but everyone has a favorite blue cheese, so choose according to your taste. In a small bowl, crumble the blue cheese.
When the beets and strawberries are finished and had time to cool, it’s time to assemble the salad. Divide the lettuces amount the plates. Top with the beets, strawberry, bacon cheese and the almonds. Drizzle with the desired vinaigrette. Garnish with the fresh thyme and more freshly ground black pepper to top the salad.
You have a healthy springtime salad ready in about 30 minutes that is sure to satisfy everyone in your family.
Roasted Strawberry and Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Golden Beets – medium – cleaned trimmed and peeled and cut into wedges
- 8 oz. Fresh Strawberries hulled and halved*
- 1 tsp. Sugar – granulated
- 1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – I love Smoked Olive oil here*
- 3 tbsps. Balsamic Vinegar*
- 1 tsp. Whole Grain Dijon Mustard*
- 1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- 8 oz. Mixed Baby Lettuces – torn loosely
- 4 Slices Black Pepper Bacon – cooked and crumbled
- 2 oz. Blue Cheese – my favorite is Gorgonzola*
- 1 oz. Marcona Almonds – coarsely chopped*
- Fresh Thyme – picked and chopped – for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place cut beets on a large baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tender and browned. Cool slightly.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper; place the strawberries in an even layer on the prepared sheet: sprinkle with sugar and toss gently to coat—Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the berries to a plate to cool.
- Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a jar or bowl: shake or whisk until emulsified.
- Place the lettuce evenly amount 4 plates or however many you are serving. Top with the beets, strawberries, bacon, cheese, and almonds. Drizzle evenly with vinaigrette.
- Garnish with the fresh thyme.