This Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Tahini Dressing is a bright and fresh side salad perfect for summer. Oven-roasted beets and juicy tomatoes are layered over a bed of arugula, then finished with crunchy pistachios, fresh mint, and a creamy citrus dressing that brings everything together.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Vegan Beet Salad
- Naturally vegetarian and vegan friendly: made entirely from whole food plant based ingredients!
- Easy to prep ahead: roast the beets and prepare the citrus tahini dressing in advance for quick assembly. Just be sure to store components separately until ready to serve!
- Simple ingredients that look beautiful: vibrant red and golden beets paired with peppery arugula create a colorful salad that looks impressive enough for entertaining, yet simple enough for weeknights.
Key Ingredients
- Red & golden beets: roasted until perfectly sweet and earthy, these are the star of our summer salad.
- Arugula: adds a peppery bite that balances the sweetness from the beets.
- Tomatoes: juicy and bright, works perfectly in this fresh salad.
- Pistachios: crunchy texture and a rich, nutty flavor.
- Fresh mint: a pop of herby vibes to enhance our dish.
- Tahini: for the creamiest vegan salad dressing!
- Orange & lemon juice: bright and acidic to make up the main flavors of our citrus dressing.
How to Make Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad
Scrub the beets, chop off the ends, and wrap loosely in foil. Place on a baking tray.
Roast in the oven for 40-75 minutes, depending on the size of your beets, until fork tender.
Let cool, then peel off the skin and dice the beets.
Whisk together the Citrus Tahini Dressing, assemble the salads, and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Chop off the ends of the beets before roasting. This makes the skins much easier to remove after cooking.
- The skins of the beets should slide off easily with your fingers. If needed, hold the beet under running water to help get the peeling started!
- Dice the beets to a similar size as the tomatoes for the best texture in each bite.
- To protect your cutting board from being stained by the beets, layer a piece of parchment paper on top of the board before dicing.
Serving Suggestions
- Assemble the salads just before serving to keep the arugula fresh and to prevent the beets from staining the other ingredients too harshly.
- Pair this light salad with other fresh, summery recipes for a complete meal. Something like my Chickpea Veggie Burger would round out dinner perfectly!
- This salad has subtle mediterranean-inspired flavors, making it perfect to pair with falafels for a delicious lunch, or as part of a mezze-style spread with hummus, olives, and roasted veggies!
Substitutions & Variations
- Any tomatoes work for this colorful salad recipe, but heirloom tomatoes are ideal for thier beautiful color and sweet flavor when they are in season!
- Swap arugula for mixed spring greens if you prefer a milder, less peppery flavor.
- Replace mint with fresh parsley or basil for a different herb profile.
- Add cooked quinoa or chickpeas to make this salad more filling and turn it into a main dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can roast the beets and make the dressing in advance. Just store each component of the salad in the fridge separately until it is time to assemble and serve.
As written, this is intended to be a light side salad. To make it more substantial, add cooked quinoa or chickpeas for protein, and diced avocado or marinated tofu feta for extra creaminess!
Of course! Spring greens would be my next suggestion if you prefer a milder flavor.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Beet Salad With Citrus Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 medium red beets - (or 4 small)
- 2 medium golden beets - (or 4 small)
- 3 medium tomatoes - diced (any variety)
- 7 cups arugula or spring greens
- ⅔ cup roasted pistachios - roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoon mint - roughly chopped
Citrus Tahini Dressing
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Prepare beets: Scrub beets under running water to remove any dirt, then cut off both ends of each beet. Loosely wrap each beet in foil and place on a baking tray.
- Roast beets for 40-75 minutes, depending on size. Smaller beets will take about 40-50 minutes, while larger beets may take 50-75 minutesBeets are done when they can be very easily pierced with a knife. If your beets vary in size, remove smaller ones earlier and continue roasting larger ones as needed.Remove from the oven, carefully open the foil, and let cool until easy to handle.
- Peel & dice beets: Once cooled, use your fingers to peel off the skins of the beets. They should slip off easily; you can run them under water to help if needed.Dice beets into pieces similar in size to your tomatoes. To prevent staining your cutting board, you can place parchment paper underneath the beets while dicing.
- Prepare the Citrus Tahini Dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth and well combined. (Or, add everything to a small jar, seal tightly, and shake to combine)
- Assemble each salad by dividing arugula or spring greens among plates. Top with roasted beets and tomatoes, then finish with pistachios, mint, and a drizzle of the Citrus Tahini Dressing. For best presentation, assemble individual servings rather than one large bowl. If storing in the fridge, keep each component separate until ready to assemble.
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your summer-salad-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
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