Roasted red and golden beets and caramelized onions topped with dairy-free feta cheese crumbles and tangy balsamic glaze is the most delicious side dish! This colorful beetroot feta salad is the best because it uses all parts of the beet!
Tender roasted beetroot, sweet caramelized onions, vegan feta cheese, and tangy balsamic glaze is the most delicious combination! Besides tasting absolutely incredible, this recipe is awesome because it uses all parts of the beetroot!
Did you know that beetroot greens and stems are 100% edible and they taste SO good?! Beetroot greens taste slightly sweet and mellow like spinach, while beetroot stems also have a sweet flavor but their texture is closer to baby bok choy. Please, don't throw them out!
This beetroot feta salad with balsamic drizzle makes a beautiful and colorful presentation that's perfect to serve as a side dish to any main course or for a special holiday meal with your family.
Before we go over how to make this impressive side dish, let's talk about how to pick out the best beets and the ingredients you'll need to make the recipe.
How to Pick Out The Best Beetroot
The first step in making this beetroot recipe is to pick out the best beets you can find. Please use the following tips when picking out a beetroot bunch.
- Look for two bunches of beetroot that are similar in size so they cook evenly and for the same amount of time.
- The beetroot leaves should be bright green and crisp, not yellow, slimy, or wilting.
- Pick beets that don't have any cuts or splits in the skin.
- Choose beets that are firm to the touch, they should not feel soft.
Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the ingredients you'll need to make the recipe + possible substitutions.
- Beetroot - Beets are the star of this recipe! I used a combination of red and golden beets because I love how colorful it is. You could also use rainbow carrots or parsnips instead of the beets.
- Onion - I love the sweet flavor of roasted yellow onions in this recipe, but you can also use sweet onions or shallots.
- Balsamic Vinegar - This adds the perfect tangy flavor. If you need a substitute, you can mix 1 tbsp red wine vinegar + 2 tsp maple syrup.
- Dried Seasonings - Garlic and onion powder add so much flavor!
- Vegan Feta - I used Violife feta cheese because it's super tangy and tastes delicious! If you can't find this brand, you can use any brand of dairy-free feta cheese of cream cheese that you like. You could also use chopped roasted walnuts or pecans.
- Balsamic Glaze - This glaze is just balsamic vinegar that has been cooked down until it's super thick. It's very tangy and a bit sweet. It's the perfect topping!
How to Make It
First, you need to prep the beetroot. Use a knife to cup the stems off the beetroot and then remove the greens from the stems (Photo 1). Wrap each beetroot in parchment paper or foil and arrange them on a sheet pan. Bake the beets until tender.
While the beets are roasting, cut the beet greens into strips and put them in a large pan (Photo 2). Cut the stems into small pieces, and quarter the onions. Arrange the onions and beetroot stems on a sheet pan (Photo 3) and season with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Bake the onions and beetroot stems until tender.
Next, saute the beetroot greens until they start to wilt and then set them aside until the rest of the vegetables are done cooking. When the beets are tender, remove them from the oven and let them cool. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, cut off the top, pointy ends, and carefully use a paper towel to rub off the skin.
On a big platter, spread out the beet greens as a base and arrange the slices of the roasted beet, onion wedges, and beet stems in small groups on top of the greens. Crumble the feta cheese over the vegetables and finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze (Photo 4).
What Goes With It
This roasted beetroot feta salad is a delicious side dish to serve with:
How To Store It
Store the beetroot feta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze the sliced beets and onions, but not the feta. The feta won't have the same texture and consistency after it has been frozen and defrosted. Put the cooked beets and onions in an airtight, freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
If you freeze the cooked beet greens, they won't have the same texture once they're defrosted, but you could add them to a pot of creamy chickpea soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't want to use the ingredients suggested in this recipe, you could also use roasted carrots, shallots, cabbage, swiss chard, or spinach.
Beetroot can be eaten raw in salad if they're sliced super thin, but they must be fully cooked and roasted for this salad.
Yes, you can prep and cook the beetroot and onions for the salad one day in advance, but wait to add the crumbled feta and balsamic glaze until right before you serve.
Expert Tips
- Pick out beets that are uniform in size so they take the same amount of time to cook.
- Be extra careful when you handle the cooked red beets (or wear gloves) because the red juice can stain your hands, countertop, and cutting board if you don't wash it off right away. Cut the beets on top of something that won't stain easily.
- If you don't want to deal with the red beetroot juice, you could use all golden beetroot.
- If you only have access to the beets that have already been separated from the stems, that's ok! I would substitute sautéed kale or swiss chard for the greens and stems.
- This beetroot feta salad can be enjoyed warm or chilled. Both ways are extremely delicious!
Want More Salad Recipes?
- Christmas Salad
- Zesty Quinoa Salad
- Creamy Broccoli Salad
- Lemon Tahini Courgette Salad
- Summer Wheat Berry Salad
Roasted Beetroot Onion Feta Salad
Equipment
- (2) Large Sheet Pans
- Large Platter
Ingredients
- 1 bunch red beetroot (3 medium beets)
- 1 bunch golden beetroot (3 medium beets)
- 3 small yellow onions peeled
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 3 oz feta cheese (I used half a block of Violife feta)
- 2-3 tbsp balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Make a cut right above the top of the beetroot to separate the stem from the beetroot. Wrap each beetroot in parchment paper or foil and arrange them on a large sheet pan.
- Bake the beets for 50-60 minutes (depending on their size) or until tender.
- Slice the beetroot greens into 1-inch pieces, cut the stems into 2-inch pieces and quarter the onions. Arrange the onion wedges (don't separate the slices) and beet stems on a large parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar over the onions (this is what helps the onions to caramelize!) and stems. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and let it cook for 10-15 more minutes or until tender.
- Next, saute the beetroot greens in a large pan over medium heat. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let the greens cook for 5-6 minutes or just until they start to wilt.
- The beets are done when you can easily pierce it with a knife. Let the beets cool for 5-10 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Cut off the top and the pointy end of each beetroot.
- Put a paper towel in one hand and put the beet on top of the paper towel. Hold another paper towel in your other hand and use it to gently rub the skin off. If the skin doesn’t easily peel off, it needs to be cooked longer. Cut each beet into ½ inch slices and then cut each slice in half.
- On a large platter, lay the beetroot greens down first and then arrange the beetroot slices, onion wedges, and stems in small groups on top of the greens.
- Crumble the feta over the vegetables and then drizzle 2-3 tbsp of balsamic glaze right before you serve.
Notes
- Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.Â
Oh MY STACEY!!! Each of your recipes are bonified WINNERS!!!! How attractive, colorful and downright healthy they all are!!! I can hardly wait to see what you come up with next. You are my INSPIRATION!!!! xoxoxo
What a GORGEOUS veggie dish, Stacie! I am a wannabe beet fan, but I'm sure this dish would totally convert me! Also, roasted onions are the jam! ? I could probably eat a whole plate of them as a meal they're so good! I really love how you creatively used the whole beet too, as I typically toss the stalks as well. I've never tried golden beets though..do they taste different than regular beets?
Thank you, Joscelyn! It converted Travis too! I started off easy with your beet hummus which he loved, so I thought I would try this next because of all the toppings. It worked! I did end up eating a whole plate for dinner one night lol
The golden beets are delicious too, I don't think they're as sweet as the red beets but they're not bitter at all. I really want to try the candy cane beets, I haven't been able to find them anywhere tho!