Golden beets have been making regular appearances in our fall Bryn Clovis Farm CSA share, and I’m not one to let good beets go to waste. I’d been collecting them over a few weeks—beets keep well, after all—waiting for inspiration to strike. And it did, one fall evening when I had a chicken roasting and wanted a cozy, autumnal side to serve alongside it.
While I often turn to Peggy’s Beet Salad recipe (a classic, and truly the best), I was craving something warm. Enter roasted beets. Roasting beets is beautifully simple: scrub them, trim the ends, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for an hour or so until fork-tender. Once cool enough to handle, the skins slip off easily with a little help from rubber gloves.
To dress things up, I made a sherry vinaigrette—just sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of honey. Its bright, sweet acidity pairs wonderfully with the earthy beets.
For added richness, I used a mild, creamy blue cheese (already crumbled—no judgment here). You still taste the beets and vinaigrette, but with just enough tang from the cheese. A gorgonzola would also work well.
To finish, I toasted some chopped walnuts in the toaster oven for a few minutes until fragrant and sprinkled them over the top. The combination of textures—the tender beets, creamy blue cheese, and crunchy walnuts—is a winner.
This dish is flexible: serve it warm, room temperature, or make the beets ahead and rewarm them gently. It’s a perfect autumn side dish and would be at home on any holiday table.
Roasted Beets with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds beets about 4 to 5 medium, trimmed and scrubbed (see Notes)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon honey or to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons roughly chopped walnuts toasted (see Notes)
- 4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut beets into half or into pieces so they are all roughly the same size.
- In a medium bowl, toss beets with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
- Place the beets on a large sheet of foil and set the medium bowl aside. Wrap tightly and roast until tender when pierced with a knife, about 50 to 60 minutes depending on size. Cool slightly, then rub off skins with a paper towel (you may want to wear rubber gloves as they will be hot and/or could stain your fingers). Cut into bite-sized wedges or chunks. (You can prepare the roasted beets up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate them until ready to use. See Notes for warming them.)
- While the beets are roasting, in a small bowl, whisk together the sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey. Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until emulsified. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. (You can prepare the dressing up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use.)
- In the medium bowl you set aside, gently toss the warm beets with the dressing (you may not need all of the dressing) and walnuts. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the flavors mingle.
- Transfer the beets to a serving bowl or platter and scatter the crumbled blue cheese over top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- This dish was made using golden beets but any color beets will work well.
- To toast walnuts, place them on a small baking sheet in a toaster oven at 325°F for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch them carefully so they do not burn.
- To rewarm the beets, Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the roasted beets in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing them halfway through. The beets are ready when they start to sizzle and brown slightly.
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