Growing up my mom used to make goat cheese croutons for a delightful little salad topper. As a kid, I never really appreciated them. In fact, I thought goat cheese was kinda weird. But once my pallet matured beyond hot dogs and chicken tenders, I grew to adore this tangy salad bite!
A bed of roasted beets seemed like the perfect pairing to showcase a golden brown goat cheese crouton! For added color and texture, I brought roasted butternut squash, carrots and avocado to the party. A salad recipe poised and ready for the Fall season!
Roasted Beet Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
· Olive oil
· Salt & pepper
· 3 large beets
· 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
· 8 cups mixed greens
· 2 avocados, diced
· 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
For the chicken
· 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
· Paprika
· Garlic powder
· Salt & pepper
For the goat cheese croutons
· 4oz goat cheese log
· 1/3 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
· 2 tsp olive oil
For the dressing
· ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
· 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
· 1 tbsp honey
· 2 tbsp olive oil
· Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425F.
For the salad… remove the leafy tops and root stem from either end of the beets. Quarter the beets. Place the beets cut-side down on a sheet pan. Drizzle each beet quarter with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Add the butternut squash to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for another 25-30 minutes until the beets and squash are fork-tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Using a spoon or small paring knife, remove the skin from the beets and discard. Dice each beet quarter. Set aside the beets and butternut squash.
For the chicken… Preheat oven to 375F. Place the chicken breasts on a greased baking sheet. Season each piece of chicken liberally with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Roast for about 30 minutes until fully cooked. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing or dicing. Chicken can be served warm or room temp.
For the goat cheese croutons… Preheat oven to 400F. Slice the goat cheese log into four equal disks. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and olive oil. Coat each of the goat cheese pieces in the bread crumbs. Gently press the bread crumbs into the cheese. Place the goat cheese croutons on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is warm and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
For the dressing… whisk together all ingredients in the bottom of a large salad bowl.
To finish the salad, add the mixed greens, beets, butternut squash, avocados, and carrots to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to combine. Top the salad with the chicken and goat cheese croutons.
Serves 4
GF Friendly
Gluten Free Friendly!
Swap the bread crumbs for your favorite GF brand.
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