Drop the Beet. Turn up the Beet. Just eat your Beets! This salad makes me happy. It’s beautiful in color, has the creamy, crunchy, acidic, sweet notes, AND it’s good for you. Healthy Roasted Beet Arugula Salad with Citrus and Avocado checks all the boxes. Eat the rainbow with this salad.

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Salad Ingredients

Arugula

Arugula is my favorite green. It’s tender with a peppery bite. Arugula is good for the bones, since it has Vitamin K and Calcium. It’s also loaded with antioxidants. According to Will Blair’s article, Arugula at WebMD:

Arugula also has glucosinolates. These natural substances, which give arugula its bitter taste and strong scent, may protect you against certain cancers, including breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers.

Will blair at webMD

Other greens that are also good in this salad:

• Spinach
• Baby Kale (dressed the night before)
• Beet Greens
• Spring Mix

Beets

Beets are beautiful root vegetables that are earthy and mildly sweet. I know not everyone are beet fans. But guys, if it’s been awhile since you’ve tried them, give them a whirl again. There are so many pluses for eating beets.

According to 9 Impressive Health Benefits of Beets at Healthline.com:

Beets are loaded with vitamins and minerals yet low in calories and fat. They’re also a good source of several key nutrients, including folate, manganese, and copper.

By Daisy Coyle, APD and Rachael Link, MS, RD at Healthline.com

More over, the dietary nitrates found in beets help increase oxygen levels 2 to 3 hours after eating beets or drinking their juice. So if any of you are running 5Ks to marathons, drink your beet juice.

In this recipe you can use jarred pickled beets, just watch the sugar content. However, roasting them are the best. They caramelize in the oven and are so tasty. Below are instructions (and a video) for roasting beets in the oven or air fryer.

Avocado

The best healthy fat, in my opinion, are avocados. Creamy, delicious and rich in so many nutrients. Avocados are where it’s at.

There are 4 kinds of fat in this beet salad: avocado, goat cheese, pistachios, and the olive oil in the dressing. If you are on the Beach Body program or are watching your fat intake closely, eliminate either the goat cheese or avocado. This beet salad will still be scrumptious, I promise.

Goat Cheese

The other healthy fat. Creamy and tangy, these light crumbles of goodness add a pop to this salad.

Orange

This citrus brings a brightness that balances out the healthy fats of the avocado and goat cheese. To just peel the orange and segment it out, isn’t the best idea. The membrane of the orange is a little tough compared to the tenderness of the rest of the ingredients on this salad.

See the video below in the recipe card on how to cut the orange. Once the orange segments are cut out of the orange, you will squeeze what’s left over for the orange juice in the dressing.

Radish

This ingredient is optional, but the pepperiness of the radish goes so well with the arugula. It compliments the beets too, and adds a crunch.

Pistachios

A member of the cashew family, these little green beauties are loaded with nutrients. According to 9 Health Benefits of Pistachios at Healthline.com:

Notably, pistachios are one of the most vitamin B6-rich foods available.

Vitamin B6 is important for several bodily functions, including blood sugar regulation and the formation of hemoglobin, a molecule that carries oxygen in red blood cells.

Audur Benediktsdottir, MS at Healthline.com

So many health benefits, but also high in fat. You only need a few of these chopped up to sprinkle on top the salad.

Vinaigrette Ingredients

Home-made dressings are far superior to bottled ones. Make this easy and delicious dressing to level up this beet salad with citrus and avocado. It’s as easy as putting all the ingredients in a jar with lid and giving it a shake, or whisking it up in a bowl. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar (good quality)
• Orange Juice
• Dijon Mustard
• Honey
• S&P to taste

Watch the video in the recipe card below. It shows how to cut the rind off the orange and segment out the orange slices in between the membranes. With what’s left over of the orange, just squeeze the juice for the dressing.

This dressing doubles as a marinade for roasting the beets. Make extra and keep sealed in your fridge to gussy up salads or use as a marinade for chicken or pork.

Salads don’t have to be boring. If you like this salad recipe, you’ll love my post on 5 Healthy Salad Dressings.

Roasting the Beets

Turn up the beet… I mean the oven (or air fryer) to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven has a Roast setting, select it. This allows air to circulate around the pan, creating that delicious caramelization.

Beets look a bit funky, and may be intimidating if you have never tried cooking them before. Don’t be scared! They are easy to cook.

Chop off the top and tail of the beets. Peel skin with a vegetable peeler. Then dice into small squares (half inch to an inch). I like a small dice because they cook faster. I don’t like big pieces of beets in a salad as they sink to the bottom and can be hard to eat.

For these beets, toss in a few spoonfuls of the dressing and a sprinkle of salt before you put them in the oven. They should only take 20 minutes in the oven or 10 to 15 in the air fryer.

Assembling the Beet Salad with Citrus and Avocado

The hard parts done. Now see the beautiful bits come together like art! Put this in a big serving bowl or individual bowls.

1. First, the arugula. If you are serving right away, drizzle the arugula with just a touch of the dressing and give it a toss.
2. Next, layer in the beets, radishes, goat cheese, orange slices, and avocados.
3. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

Add in protein if you would like this for the main dish. Here are a few options:

• Rotisserie Chicken
• Chick Peas
• Quinoa

This salad is the perfect side salad for just about any main course.

FAQ

Looking for an easy dinner recipe? Try my Mediterranean Artichoke Chicken.

More Sensational Salads

I love me some salads. I eat them every day, sometimes twice. The tricks are homemade dressings, different textures, and full of flavor.

Autumn Apple Salad with Cinnamon Maple Vinaigrette

Tex Mex Salad with Creamy Dressing

Spinach Salad with Pesto Dressing

Pizzeria House Salad

Easy Peasy Arugula Salad with Lemon Mint Vinaigrette

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