Roasted Beet Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

Roasted beet salad drizzled with a sweet and tangy homemade honey balsamic dressing. Bites of tart apples, bursts of pomegranate arils and salty, tangy, feta cheese. Pistachios add a delicious crunch to each healthy bite!

Funny story about this salad… I had my parents over for dinner one night to make the Half Baked Harvest Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs, one of our favorite meals. We started with this salad and my mom said “Oh is this a Half Baked Harvest salad?” I replied with “Nope. It’s a Right Back Spatula salad. ;)” The fact that I was remotely compared to Tieghan is a compliment in itself. She’s one of my food blogging icons, so that felt good to hear.

My mom liked this salad so much that she had seconds and then asked for the rest to take home for lunch the next day. Is that enough to convince you to make this this salad yet???

Roasted Beet Salad

This salad is a healthy, delicious start to any meal, but it is especially good for Thanksgiving. The textures of the cheese compliments the roasted beets, salty pistachios, and the tart apples. The homemade honey balsamic dressing enhances all of the salad flavors, especially all of the fruit.

You could roast your own beets, but I always take shortcuts and buy pre-roasted beets from Trader Joe’s. It takes much less time and creates less of a mess. You with me? However, if you’re up for the challenge, here is a good step-by-step guide for roasting them at home via The Kitchn. My mom loves roasting her own beets. I’m sure I can negotiate some freshly roasted beets if I turn them into this salad!

Additional Topping Recommendations:

• dried cranberries or any other dried fruit
• pear slices
• pecans or walnuts instead of pistachios
• mixture of beets and golden beets for color variety
• add a protein such as grilled chicken to make it a meal
• add kale or spinach

Homemade Honey Balsamic Dressing

My philosophy on homemade salad dressing is simple. It’s healthier to make your own dressing and easier to control the quantity if you make your own at home. We’ve probably all been in the situation where we have 5 different salad dressings open at once. It’s simply a waste. Most of you probably have all of the ingredients to make your own dressing anyway so why not give it a try?

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own dressing:

• Balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• honey (maple syrup would work too)
• salt and pepper

If you like salads, I think you’re really going to like this recipe. I hope your friends and family members ask for the leftovers just as mine did!

I’d love to hear from you once you get the chance to make this recipe. Leave a comment below with your review or any modifications you made! And don’t forget to tag @rightbackspatula on Instagram if you take any pictures!