The Best Beet Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Elevate your salad with this tasty Beet Salad, which includes juicy Mandarin oranges, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. Experience the perfect mix of flavors and textures in this nutritious dish.
I tried a similar salad for the first time in the Food and Thought restaurant and grocery store in Naples, Florida, and I liked it very much. I swear they had mandarin oranges in it, but when I checked their website, it says they don’t have it 🫤.
However, my close friend serves something similar in her restaurant, Creme De la Creme, in Naples, Florida, so if you are ever there, you must check it out!
I created this recipe from memory, and my best food critic (aka my husband 😉) loved it! Recently, it has become one of our favorite salads, mainly because you can serve it as a main course if you are on a low-calorie diet (because it has walnuts as a good source of protein) or as a great side dish. I hope you will love it too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe features fresh ingredients, with walnuts providing an excellent source of protein.
- Beginning with vibrant greens, it incorporates nutrient-rich cooked red beets and concludes with mandarin oranges, walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese.
- The dressing is straightforward, utilizing everyday pantry staples like extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- With just 10 minutes and these readily available ingredients, you’ll be amazed at how effortlessly fresh and nutritious this salad is.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Prepare Beet Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Preparation Tips
- Beets: Begin with cooked, peeled, and sliced beets. Even though you can cook fresh beets at home, I usually opt for cooked beets at grocery stores like Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods Market.
- Mandarin oranges: Peel and chop mandarin oranges. Depending on their size, one larger or two smaller mandarin oranges should suffice.
- Walnuts: Chop walnuts to your preferred size. For chunkier walnuts, a quick, sharp knife cut will do. Alternatively, you can use a food processor for finer chopping.
- Any variety of store-bought mixed greens will work perfectly. I opted for the Spring Mix available at Whole Foods for this recipe. You can also use baby spinach instead.
- Goat cheese typically comes in a solid chunk, which I prefer to crumble using my fingers. If you don’t like goat cheese, you can add feta cheese instead.
- Dried sweet cranberries.
- Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing.
- You can add a pinch of salt to your salad; however, I typically omit it due to the natural sweetness of mandarins, sweet beets, and cranberries. Please feel free to add salt as you prefer.
- This salad tastes great the next day! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 2-3 days for the best taste and freshness.
- Before serving leftovers, gently toss the salad to redistribute the flavors.
- Please take a look at the recipe card below for the full recipe and nutrient information.
Quick Tip!
For extra flavor, try adding a sprinkle of freshly chopped herbs like fresh mint or basil to your Beet Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese. The herbs will complement the vibrant flavors of the salad and add a touch of freshness to each bite.
In summary, this healthy Beet Mandarin Orange Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese is a tasty mix of different flavors and textures you’ll enjoy.
Each bite of this salad is a delicious blend of sweet mandarin oranges, earthy beets, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese that tastes wonderful together.
Whether you’re enjoying it as a light lunch, a colorful side dish, or a refreshing snack, this salad is both nutritious and delicious. Simple ingredients and easy preparation make it a perfect choice for any occasion.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Healthy Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Walnuts
- Greek Salad with Heirloom Tomato and Feta Cheese
- Healthy Beet, Carrot, and Apple Salad with Walnuts
- Easy Lemon Feta Orzo Salad (Mediterranean Orzo Salad)
- Chicken Caesar Salad (No Anchovies)
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Beet Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 8 oz beets cooked
- 2 mandarins
- 2.5 oz mixed greens half of 5 oz bag
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Slice the cooked beets into rounds or wedges.
- Peel the mandarin oranges and separate them into segments. Cut them into smaller pieces and set aside.
- Chop the walnuts roughly using a sharp knife or a food processor for finer chopping.
- Combine the mixed greens, cooked beet slices, mandarin oranges, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries in a large salad bowl. Toss gently to mix.
- Crumble the goat cheese over the salad.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Drizzle the salad with the dressing, tossing gently to coat all the ingredients.
- You can season with salt and pepper to taste if you'd like.
- Serve immediately and enjoy this delicious Beet Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese as a refreshing and nutritious appetizer or side dish.
Video
Notes
- Refer to the post above for video instructions and other useful information.
- Nutrition information is an estimate and will depend on your specific ingredients.
- Beets: Begin with cooked, peeled, and sliced beets. Even though you can cook fresh beets at home, I usually opt for cooked beets at grocery stores like Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods Market.
- Mandarin oranges: Peel and chop mandarin oranges. Depending on their size, one larger or two smaller mandarin oranges should suffice.
- Walnuts: Chop walnuts to your preferred size. For chunkier walnuts, a quick, sharp knife cut will do. Alternatively, you can use a food processor for finer chopping.
- Any variety of store-bought mixed greens will work perfectly. I opted for the Spring Mix available at Whole Foods for this recipe. You can also use baby spinach instead.
- Goat cheese typically comes in a solid chunk, which I prefer to crumble using my fingers. If you don’t like goat cheese, you can add feta cheese instead.
- You can add a pinch of salt to your salad; however, I typically omit it due to the natural sweetness of mandarins, sweet beets, and cranberries. Please feel free to add salt as you prefer.
- This salad tastes great the next day! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 2-3 days for the best taste and freshness.
- Before serving leftovers, gently toss the salad to redistribute the flavors.
