Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

This salad is nothing new. In fact I have been making it for quite sometime but I never thought to blog about it because it seemed so simple. However after serving it repeatedly at multiple parties and always receiving rave reviews I decided it's time I include it on the blog.

This past weekend we had a big soiree at our house to celebrate my mom's birthday. In addition to this salad I also prepared stuffed mushrooms, poached pears, and two chocolate mousse cakes (there were a lot of people so I made two of the same cake). The party was a great success and everyone was truly appreciative of all the effort that went into creating such a fabulous spread.

The beauty of the salad I made is how easy and simple it is, yet also very versatile. I love how roasting the beets brings out their inherently sweet flavor which is then complemented by the tanginess of the goat cheese. Then to top it all off there's the crunch provided by the toasted almonds. I will admit that at times I have substituted feta cheese in the past, which is also nice, though I prefer the goat cheese. Also I alternate between using baby spinach and arugula, or sometimes even both, depending on what I find at the grocery store. In any case, the star of the salad is definitely the beet; so long as it's there everything else falls into place.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Note: The salad can be made in small or large portions, therefore I have listed the ingredients and steps but left quantities out.

• Medium sized beets
• Goat cheese
• Baby arugula or spinach leaves
• Sliced almonds
• Lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Prepare the beets by wrapping tightly in aluminum foil and arranging on a baking pan. Depending on the size, roast them for 45 minutes-1 hour. They are finished once a knife can easily slice through them.
2. Allow the beets to cool then proceed to peel and slice them. I prefer slicing them into thin rounds, about ½ cm thick, then in half.
3. While the beets are cooling, toast the almonds in a pan over low heat. Keep in mind it is easy to burn them therefore continuously stir them and remove from the heat as soon as you see them start to brown. Set aside in a separate bowl.
4. Toss the greens with some lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning to taste but take care not to over mix as the greens will start to wilt if you work them too much. 
5. Toss in the sliced beets and almonds and gently mix in. Use your hands to break off small chunks of goat cheese and sprinkle on top. Don't worry about mixing it in so long as there is enough to scooped up while serving.