If you’ve cooked with me for any length of time, you already know how much I love vegetables—especially when they’re roasted. Beets are one of those magical veggies that completely transform in the oven. When you roast beets, they turn sweet, tender, and earthy in the best way possible.
This roasted beet and burrata salad recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. Creamy burrata cheese, peppery greens, and a lovely pink peppercorn vinaigrette make this dish feel elegant without trying too hard. It’s a beautiful winter salad that pairs perfectly with a great steak, a roast chicken, or some crusty bread with a generous spread of salted butter.
How do you know when beets are done roasting?
The best way to cook red beets in the oven is to let them roast until they’re completely fork-tender. When you’re roasting beets in the oven, a knife should slide easily into the center with no resistance. How long to roast beets depends on their size. It can range from 45 minutes to an hour. If they still feel firm, they just need more time. Patience pays off!
What exactly is burrata cheese?
Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese with a soft mozzarella shell and a creamy center. When you tear into it, the inside gently spills out and coats everything around it. It’s rich, mild, and perfect with vegetables like baked red beets. If you’d like to learn more about how burrata is made and how to use it, you can read more here:
Can I use a different type of cheese instead of burrata?
Absolutely. While burrata cheese makes this a standout beet and burrata salad appetizer, fresh mozzarella, whipped ricotta, or even goat cheese work beautifully. Each option gives the salad a slightly different personality, but all pair well with beets in vinaigrette.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, and that’s one reason I love this salad! It makes a great beet side dish recipe for entertaining. You can bake beets in the oven—I bake my beets whole and peel them after—and store them in the refrigerator a day ahead. Just wait to assemble the salad and add the burrata until right before serving so everything looks fresh and vibrant.
Do I need to peel the beets before or after roasting?
Always after. When you roast whole beets — especially when you roast beets in foil — the skins slip right off once they cool slightly. It’s the easiest and cleanest way to handle cooked beets, and it’s part of the best way to roast beets for salads.
How do I prevent the red beets from staining the other ingredients?
Beets love to leave their mark — it’s part of their charm. To keep things neat, let the beets cool completely and toss them gently with the vinaigrette before adding them to the greens. This helps control the color and keeps your beet burrata salad with mixed greens looking fresh and intentional.
Can I use precooked or canned beets?
You can, but if you’re asking me? Fresh is best. Baked red beets have better texture and flavor than canned, and how to roast beets in the oven really isn’t hard. That said, vacuum-packed precooked beets are a decent shortcut when time is tight — just skip canned if you can.
Pro Tip: Roast the Beets a Day Ahead
You can roast beets in the oven and peel them the day before to save time and avoid pink fingers at the dinner table. Just be sure to pull them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before assembling so they come to room temperature and properly absorb the vinaigrette.
More Salads and Burrata Recipes to Try
Roasted Beet and Burrata Salad Recipe with Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette
This roasted beet and burrata salad pairs oven-roasted beets with creamy burrata cheese and a pink peppercorn vinaigrette. A truly stunning winter side dish!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Wash and trim the beets.
- Tear a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each beet and place a bay leaf in the center with the beet on top. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly into a pouch. Roast until fork tender (45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the beets). After roasting, carefully unwrap the pouch to release the steam and leave the beets to cool while you make the vinaigrette.
- Tear another piece of foil, roughly 5 by 10 inches, and set aside. In a small skillet, lightly toast the pink peppercorns and coriander seeds until they release their fragrance. Remove from heat and turn them out onto one half of the foil and fold the other half over the top. To prevent the seeds from rolling out, seal the three open sides by simply making a ½ “ fold over each edge. Crush the seeds with a rolling pin and then tip them into the bowl you’re using to make the dressing.
- Add the vinegar, honey, mustard, zest, lemon juice and shallot to the seeds, whisking together. Gradually add in the olive oil and whisk vigorously until emulsified, then season with a pinch of salt to taste. Alternatively, you can add these ingredients to a mason jar with a watertight lid and shake vigorously until the mixture is emulsified.
- When cool enough to handle, peel your beets and slice into slender wedges. Discard the bay leaves.
- Arrange your greens on a platter or on individual plates, then distribute the beets over the leaves. Wash your hands of beet juice before gently tearing the burrata into bite-size pieces evenly over the top.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette, holding some back for the table if you’d like, and finish with a sprinkle of pistachios.
