Baby Arugula has a soft peppery quality, so it pairs perfectly with the sweet oranges and beets. Arugula is available year-round but is at it’s finest in the winter. Save time and buy the beets pre-cooked at the market.
There are so many flavor elements that make this arugula salad a favorite of ours, and you can add or subtract additional ingredients to make it your own. Below we will give you some ideas for substitute ingredients. The key to this salad is to use the freshest ingredients possible, and the best extra virgin olive oil for the vinaigrette.
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Ingredients for Arugula Beet Salad:
- Baby Arugula
- Cooked Beets – steamed or roasted. Buy pre-cooked to save time
- Goat Cheese
- Radishes
- Orange segments (supremed)
- Avocado
- Toasted or Candied Pecans
- Classic Lemon Vinaigrette
How to make Arugula Beet Avocado Salad with Goat Cheese
It’s best to prep everything in the salad right before you assemble it for the freshest flavor, except the vinaigrette and the beets which can be made ahead of time.
- Roast beets, if preparing your own
- Prepare Classic Lemon Vinaigrette. See the directions below.
- Slice the radishes thinly. Using a mandoline slicer will speed up the process and give you even slices.
- Cut beets and avocados into medium-sized chunks of about 3/4 – 1″ in size. Choose a slightly firm avocado for the best results.
- Supreme (segment) the orange. See the directions below.
- Crumble the goat cheese. Chilled goat cheese is easier to crumble
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl with the baby arugula and gently toss together.
- Add the lemon vinaigrette, gently toss again, and serve
- This salad looks beautiful on a large platter if you are serving it family style
- Arugula wilts fairly quickly once it’s dressed so don’t add the dressing until right before serving
How to Supreme an Orange:
We use fresh orange slices, but you could substitute canned mandarin oranges, well-drained. The best way to use fresh oranges is to supreme, or segment, them. This is a method where you remove the peel, pith, and membrane. If you supreme an orange it makes your salad look like it came from a restaurant!
You can see our step by step instructions to supreme an orange or any other citrus in detail, in another post.
Top with Candied Pecans:
Top the salad with toasted chopped pecans, or make our addicting chopped spicy Candied Pecans, for added flavor.
Make a fresh lemon vinaigrette:
Our lemon vinaigrette is a classic vinaigrette recipe. This basic recipe allows you to make any variety of vinaigrettes as long as you use the same proportion of acid to oil.
The ratio for classic vinaigrette is always:
1 part acid to 3 parts oil
To make a smooth vinaigrette use a blender or small food processor. Blend everything, except the oil. Slowly drizzle the oil in and continue to blend. If mixing by hand, use the same method and whisk vigorously. Add the shallots last if hand whisking.
Substitution Ideas:
This salad is so versatile that you can sub in lots of different ingredients. Here are some ways to mix it up
- Baby Spinach in place of arugula
- Pine nuts or walnuts
- Blue cheese or feta cheese
- Orange vinaigrette instead of lemon vinaigrette
Looking for other salads or vinaigrette dressing ideas?
- Tricolore Salad with Oranges and Lemon Champagne Vinaigrette
- Try our Classic Champagne or Balsamic Vinaigrettes
- Brussel Sprout Pomegranate Salad
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Arugula Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 cups Baby Arugula
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup orange segments
- 1 medium avocado cut into medium dice
- 1 cup beets cut into medium dice
- ½ cup goat cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup toasted or candied pecans, roughly chopped
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 4 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons shallots, minced, optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch Salt and pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- In a small food processor or blender, add lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and shallot. Blend until smooth. If whisking by hand be sure the shallots are very finely minced.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil and blend until well combined. Set aside while making the salad. This dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated. Shake well before using.
Arugula Beet Salad:
- Prepare all ingredients and toss gently with the arugula in a large bowl.
- Add the lemon vinaigrette and gently toss again. Divide equally into bowls or salad plates. Or serve on a large platter or in a large bowl.
Notes
- Full instructions for segmenting (supreming) oranges here
- Link and step-by-step to our full Classic Lemon Vinaigrette recipe
- Link to our Candied Pecans recipe