Spinach Salad with Beets and Walnuts

Sweet roasted beets, crunchy walnuts, and bright baby spinach make a simple but well-balanced salad.

By
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is the former national editor at Serious Eats, with a focus on all things sweet.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated February 24, 2025
Closeup of spinach salad with beets and walnuts, served in a bumpy-rimmed bowl.

Serious Eats / Carrie Vasios Mullins

Why It Works

  • The lactic tang of goat cheese pairs well with earthy, sweet beets.
  • Toasted walnuts add textural contrast and provide a complementary nuttiness to the geosmin-rich beets.

It would be nice if every Valentine's Day the universe handed us each a bouquet of red roses and a key to the Honeymoon Suite at the Ritz. Unfortunately, reality tends to fall a few diamond solitaires short of the ideal. After all, Valentine's Day is on a weeknight and some of us have taken our love to the next level, forming families that can't always be put on hold.

This doesn't have to be a bad thing. Use the time with your kids as an excuse to indulge in the pink and red kitschy wonder of Valentine's Day.

Although this salad may seem a little more on the grown-up side, I've found plenty of kids who like the natural sweetness of beets. Crumbled goat cheese makes it even more accessible, and toasted walnuts add a contrasting, nutty crunch. This rich, pretty salad doesn't need more than a light dressing of olive oil and vinegar to tie it all together.

This recipe originally appeared as part of the column "Serious Entertaining."

February 2012

Recipe Details

Spinach Salad with Beets and Walnuts Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 60 mins
Active 20 mins
Cooling Time 10 mins
Total 75 mins
Serves 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 2 large beets, trimmed

  • 8 ounces baby spinach

  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

  • 1/2 cup toasted walnuts

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place beets on a baking sheet. Roast until fork tender, about 1 hour depending on size of the beets. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and roughly chop.

  2. Place spinach, beets, goat cheese, and walnuts in a large bowl.

  3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Whisk in salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, whisk

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
245 Calories
20g Fat
12g Carbs
8g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 245
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 462mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 20mg 101%
Calcium 110mg 8%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 658mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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