Is there anything better than a green salad done well?
I really don’t think there is.
My heart “beets” for the crunch and flavor of this particular beet and goat cheese green salad. Deep colored lettuce and earthy purple beets combined with crispy salmon, goat cheese, marinated onions, and perfectly creamy balsamic dressing. It truly can’t be beet (I can’t help it).
This IS, without a doubt, the dreamiest summer green salad combination!
Roasted Beets
These beets are delicious when roasted. My opinion is that they taste great, but I especially appreciate how they make this salad look so pretty, too!
Try roasting these beets with a little, olive oil, salt, and pepper. They add a great flavor component to this salad and I really love how the flavor of the beets complements the goat cheese.
How to Marinate Onions
For the marinated onions, I’d like to direct you to a delicious recipe over on the blog, No Crumbs Left. I used her recipe for Marinated Onions but I switched it up a little by using ACV and lemon juice concentrate instead of red wine vinegar. The results are great; a little more lemony and pickled tasting. Such a burst of flavor!
How to Cook Salmon in a Pan
If you want a good punch of protein and omegas with your salad, salmon is a great option. Also, this would be delicious with grilled or roasted chicken thighs/breast/etc.
To sear your salmon on the stovetop, I suggest using an iron skillet but anything will do. Here’s how it works:
- Season your salmon a few minutes before placing in the skillet. Trader Joe’s Lemmon pepper seasoning is my favorite for salmon.
- Add fat (oil, ghee, butter) and set heat on high.
- When your pan is hot, throw your salmon, skin side down, on the fat and turn to low. I like to cover mine at this point and let it set for about 4 minutes.
- After 4 minutes, flip, and let it set another 4 minutes. You may need to bump the temperature up to medium.
- When the salmon is no longer pink in the middle, you are ready to serve! This is usually about 1-2 minutes after the white bubbles show up on the meat.
That’s it!! It’s pretty much a “recipe-less” green salad but I’ll add all the details below!
Healthy Tip: Benefits of Beets
Did you know that beets can help lower your blood pressure, improve your athletic performance, and and reduce inflammation? Beets have so many health benefits. Here are some interesting facts about the benefits of eating beets.
To summarize, beets are especially nutrient dense with amazing vitamin content including: folate, manganese, and copper. They also contain nutrients called nitrates. To put it simply, these nutrients have the potential to open up the blood vessels in your body which can help lower blood pressure but also help boost your stamina and performance during exercise. That sounds pretty awesome to me!
Get all the details on building this salad in the recipe card below. Although, it’s a meal in and of itself, you could skip the meat and side this with one of the other meals from the blog like Healthy Chicken Pasta Dinner in 30 Minutes or Sweet Apple and Pork Dish. It would also be great as a make ahead salad for lunches. See my tips here.
Enjoy!
Suzi
Beets and Goat Cheese + Greens Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
- 1 raw beet
- 4 oz salmon
Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp mayo made with avocado oil is preferred/best
- 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Marinated Onions
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice concentrate
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Lemony Marinated Red Onions
- Simply slice a red onion into thin rings and combine ingredients in a mason jar.
- Ideally, you will wait at least 6 hours before serving on a salad.
Creamy Balsamic Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a jar with lid, shake vigorously. Ready to serve.
Salad
- Begin by peeling your beet(s) and slicing thin. I use a potato peeler.
- Drizzle with olive oil and salt and roast at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until soft and crispy.
- While the beets are roasting, combine your salad greens and top with onions and goat cheese.
- Top the salad with your amazing toppings and drizzle with dressing.Enjoy!
Notes
