Roasted Beets with Whipped Goat Cheese
Turns out whipped goat cheese solves everything. Pair it with caramelized roasted beets and you'll want this on your table every week.
Equipment
- Aluminum foil to wrap the beets
- sheet tray to roast the beets
- Pairing knife to peel the beets
- Food processor to whip the goat cheese
- Disposable gloves to prevent staining when peeling beets
Ingredients
- 3 red beets whole
- 3 yellow beets whole
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar to drizzle for serving
- Toasted hazelnuts to sprinkle on top
- Microgreens optional for garnish
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep and Roast the Beets
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Wash the beets and cut off the tops and tail. Wrap the red beets tightly in foil with a teaspoon of water. Separately, wrap the yellow beets in the same manner. Place the aluminum foil packets on a foil-lined baking sheet or shallow baking dish (in case they leak) and place in the oven and roast beets for 60-75 minutes depending on their size.3 red beets, 3 yellow beets
Make the Whipped Goat Cheese
- While the beets roast, make the goat cheese. In a food processor or by hand with a whisk, add the goat cheese, pepper, olive oil, and honey and process until smooth. If the mixture is too tight add a little more olive oil until it is smooth and whipped. Taste and adjust with more honey or salt if needed.4 ounces goat cheese, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 Tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons honey
Plate and Serve
- When the beets are done, open the packs and let them sit until cool enough to handle. Wear gloves to prevent the beets from staining your hands and place a piece of parchment paper over your cutting board to prevent staining. Using a paring knife, peel the skins off of the beets. Put some of the whipped goat cheese mixture on a serving plate or individual serving dishes. Slice the beets to desired thickness (we like ¼” or so) and plate, alternating red with golden beets.
- Drizzle a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar over the beets and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts, microgreens (optional), a little sea salt, cracked black pepper and serve!1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar, Toasted hazelnuts, Microgreens, Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- This dish is a great side dish served at room temperature, so don't stress if it sits for 10 or 15 minutes before you eat it. The flavors actually improve as everything settles.
Notes
Substitutions:
- Use all red beets. If you can't find golden beets, just use six red beets instead. You can also use all golden beets to reduce the red staining mess. Roasted golden beets are more mild and sweeter and are a great option for people who dislike the very earthy flavor of red beets.
- Swap goat cheese for ricotta. Whipped ricotta is milder and creamier than goat cheese. Add a little lemon zest and salt to brighten it up. Blue cheese is also delicious with roasted beets for another cheese option.
- Add different nuts. Toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or pecans add crunch and a nutty richness that complements both the beets and the cheese. If you have a nut allergy, swap out the nuts for sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or pine nuts. Or you can omit the nuts altogether and this dish will still be fantastic.
- Add citrus. Orange or grapefruit segments add a bright, juicy contrast to the earthy beets. Add a few of them to the plate. Adding some orange zest or lemon zest is also a great addition to this dish.
- How to store leftover roasted beets and whipped goat cheese:
- Store the roasted beets and whipped goat cheese separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- The whipped goat cheese will last for 4-5 days. It may firm up in the fridge, but it'll soften again at room temperature. If it looks a little separated, just stir it back together.
- How to reheat leftover roasted beets:
- You don't necessarily need to reheat the beets because they are greet at room temp or even slightly chilled, but if you want to, it's quite simple. To reheat the beets, warm them gently in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- The goat cheese is best served at room temperature, so pull it out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to eat.
- Can you freeze leftover roasted beets?
- This is not recommended for this dish.
- Buy beets that are all the same size. This ensures they cook at the same rate. If you're stuck with a mix of sizes, wrap the smaller ones separately and pull them out of the oven earlier. Beets grow in very different sizes, so try your best to find ones that are close to the same size for best results.
- Don't skip the gloves. Beet juice will stain your hands, your cutting board, your dish towels, and anything else it touches.
- Let the beets cool before you peel them. If you try to peel them while they're scorching hot, you'll burn your hands and the skins won't slip off as easily. Ten to fifteen minutes is about right.
- Make the goat cheese ahead. You can whip the goat cheese up to two days in advance and store it in the fridge. Just let it come to room temperature before you serve it so it spreads easily.
- Taste the goat cheese as you go. Some goat cheese is tangier than others, so adjust the honey and olive oil to your preference. If it's too sharp, add more honey and if it needs a pinch of salt, add it.
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 201mgPotassium: 448mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 336IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg
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