Recipe: Beet Noodle Salad with Goat Cheese and Spinach

Photo by Emily McLaughlin

Spiralizers are all the rage when it comes to healthy home cooking. They’re commonly used to make “zoodles,” or zucchini noodles, to replace pasta in pasta dishes, but zucchini is far from the only vegetable easily spiralized. Armed with this handy tool, you can turn carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, and even apples into noodles in under 60 seconds.

The recipe below uses beet “noodles” to create a fresh spring salad. Serve it warm or cold—it’s delicious both ways.

Ingredients
Serves 2-4

3 raw beets, spiralized
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cups baby spinach or arugula, chopped
2 ounces goat cheese
½ cup toasted nuts (pine nuts, pepitas, almonds, or pistachios work well)
Optional additional ingredients: Cucumber, spiralized raw carrots, shredded brussel sprouts, ½ cup cooked quinoa

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash, peel, and spiralize your beets. In a mixing bowl, toss the spiralized beets with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Spread the beet mixture on a baking sheet, so that there is little overlap. Set the mixing bowl aside for later. Bake the beets for 10 minutes.
4. Once the beets are cooked, return them to the mixing bowl. If serving warm, continue onto step 5 now. If serving cold, let the beets cool before moving onto step 5.
5. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, greens, goat cheese, and toasted nuts. Note: To toast raw nuts, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the nuts, and toast for five minutes.
6. If you’re not eating it warm, refrigerate the salad until you’re ready to serve. Portion out four servings and enjoy as a side, or portion out two servings to eat as a meal. Store leftovers in refrigerated airtight containers for up to three days.