This roasted Beet and Grapefruit Salad is a restaurant-worthy salad made right at home. It’s colorful, flavorful, and takes just 10 minutes to prep!
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This is the perfect salad if you are tired of lettuce. The main ingredients are hearty and filling while the greens are more of a garnish.
This citrus salad is topped with a balsamic glaze but you can also try our poppy seed dressing recipe with it for a change.
This salad is simple in ingredients, yet complex in flavor. Serve this impressive side dish with any of your favorite entrees!
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📖Why This Recipe Works
- Simple and quick. Just 7 ingredients and 10 minutes are needed if you use precooked beets (or leftovers).
- So beautiful. I mean, just look at those colors. This salad is tasty and nice to look at. It doesn’t get better than that.
- Winter Favorite- All the ingredients are available and in season during the winter months. This recipe is filling thanks to the beets and healthy fats in the avocado.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Beets - You’ll need two whole roasted beets. Look for medium-sized beets that are about the same size so they cook at the same rate. You can also use pre-cooked beets that are vacuumed-sealed.
Grapefruit - Peel and divide the grapefruit into segments. Be sure to reserve some of the juice. You’ll use it in the salad.
Avocado - Cut into slices and tossed with fresh grapefruit juice to prevent browning.
Microgreens - These are optional, but do make a beautiful garnish to add a pop of color.
Dressing - balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
💭 Variations
This beet salad is delicious as-is, but it can also be customized with other add-ins or substitutions. Here are some ideas:
- Make it cheesy. A sprinkle of goat cheese, feta cheese, or freshly shredded parmesan would be delicious.
- Add nuts. Add a bit of crunch with toasted pecans, walnuts, sliced almonds, or even pistachios.
- Serve with greens. The microgreens make an excellent garnish, but you can totally serve the salad over a bed of arugula, kale, or spinach if you like.
⏲️How to Make Beet Grapefruit Salad
Extra credit if you make the beets from scratch but in the Peel house we prioritize staying healthy over prep work. We use Love Beets to take make quick work of this recipe.
Step 1 - Roast the Beets
Trim the ends off of each beet, then place them onto a sheet of foil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then wrap the beets up tightly in the foil.
Bake at 400ºF for around 60 minutes or until both beets are fork tender. If they cannot be easily pierced with a fork, they need more time.
Once the beets are roasted all the way through, unwrap the foil, then use a knife to carefully peel the skin off. They will be hot so proceed with caution.
Step 2 - Assemble the Salad
To segment out the grapefruit, trim off the top and bottom and trim the sides. After that, you should be able to cut out the segments in a minute or so.
Once your beets are roasted, arrange the prepared grapefruit and beets both on a serving platter.
Reserve the juice that comes from the grapefruit when you slice it. Tossing the avocados in it will keep them from browning.
Step 3 - Make the Glaze and Serve
In a small pan, heat balsamic vinegar on low until it reduces by half. This is your glaze.
Drizzle the assembled salad with olive oil and the balsamic glaze, sprinkle with a little bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then garnish with microgreens and serve immediately.
🥗What to Serve with Beet Salad
This simple beet salad makes a beautiful and tasty side dish next to a number of different entrees. Here are a few suggestions:
- Acorn Squash and Pork Chops
- Potato Soup
- Bavette Steak
- Citrus and Herb Cornish Hens
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
To make this recipe for meal prep, prep and store all the ingredients in separate sealed containers except for the avocado. Peel and slice the avocado right before serving.
🌡️Storing Leftovers
The flavor and texture of all of these fresh and delicious ingredients are definitely better right away once the salad is assembled. The avocados will eventually brown despite the grapefruit juice.
However, there are a couple of components you can prepare ahead of time for easy assembly later on.
- Beets: The beets can be roasted and peeled, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Balsamic Glaze: The balsamic vinegar can be reduced to the glaze, then cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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💬Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, there’s no need. The beets cook perfectly in the oven! No extra step is necessary.
You can peel beets before or after roasting. However, I recommend peeling the beets after they cook. When they’re hot, the skin comes off super easily. When they’re raw, it takes more effort. May as well save yourself the trouble and roast them first!
Definitely not this one. Raw beets are sometimes cut into shavings and used in certain recipes, but this beet salad recipe calls for whole beets…and whole beets are way too tough and crunchy to be eating raw.
Plus, roasting is such a great way to bring out the sweet flavor of the beets!
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📖 Recipe
Beet and Grapefruit Salad with Avocado
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 med whole roasted beets chilled and sliced
- 1 grapefruit segmented and reserve juice
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup microgreens optional, for garnish
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- Arrange grapefruit, and beets on a platter. Toss the avocado in the grapefruit juice. Add to the platter.2 med whole roasted beets, 1 grapefruit, 1 avocado
- Add the balsamic to a small pan. Heat on low until reduced by half to make a glaze.¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with salt and fresh black pepper. Garnish with the microgreens and serve.1 cup microgreens, 2 tablespoon olive oil, kosher salt and pepper
Notes
- If the grapefruit does not give off enough extra juice to coat the avocado you can substitute lemon or lime juice.
- To Roast Raw Beets- Trim the ends and place on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Wrap the beets tightly in the foil. Bake at 400 F degrees for 60 minutes, until fork tender. Unwrap the foil and use a paring knife to peel the skin off the beets. Chill before using.
adriana says
A lovely combination of flavors, the radicchio gives a hint of bitterness that goes perfectly with teh citrus and the beats. My favorite salad so far!
stephanie says
The love winter salad, the beets gave it just the perfect little kick.
Vicky says
Yay! Salad doesn't have to just be for summer. What a perfect blend of flavors to enjoy in the winter!
Jayne says
Love a great winter salad. This beet salad hit all my buttons. Add to the dinner table this weekend.
Anita says
I love roasted beets in salad, especially in winter time when they are in season. This salad is so pretty, and the color scheme is also perfect for a Valentine's Day dinner.