Roasted Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Salad with an Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette

I just adore beetroots.   I picked up a couple of nice bunches when we were in town the other day at the Green Grocers . . . a bunch of regular ruby coloured ones  and a beautiful bunch of golden globes.  Call them heirloom if you must . . . but . . . they’re beetroot and they’re tasty, and they’re pretty to look at.

Then we had lunch in Cafe Rouge and I had the most delicious Goat’s Cheese Salad ever . . . I just adore goat’s cheese, which is pretty amazing for a gal who grew up eating Velveeta and was afraid to eat anything stronger.  I’ve come a long way baby!  Their salad was quite simply baby greens with some slivered roasted red pepper on top, and some balls of soft goats cheese . . . and a tangy French Vinaigrette.  It was lovely.

I kept thinking about it once I got home and knew that I had to do something similar here in my English Kitchen . . . but I wanted to incorporate some beetroot into it if I could . . .

Something magical happens when you marry beetroot and goat’s cheese together.   These two things are the perfect partners . . . the beetroot, all sweet and earthy . . . the goats cheese, so rich and tangy . . . the two together are a pretty unbeatable combination.

I decided to marry them in a salad, but not just any salad.  A salad composed of baby salad greens, fresh and crisp from the garden . . . the beetroot roasted in it’s peel until tender, and then sliced once cooled atop the salad . . . the goat’s cheese rolled into balls and then into toasted walnuts . . . three perfect little globes crowning the greens and beetroot . . . but wait . . . it’s gets better . . . 

I added an Orange Marmalade vinaigrette . . . delicious.   A nice wallop of Dijon mustard . . . white wine vinegar and olive oil and then a huge dollop of fine shred orange marmalade . . . ohhh baby . . .you know what I like!

This was the perfect dressing for this salad.   The Orange Marmalade adds a touch of sweet and a hint of bitter, then the heat of the mustard and tang of the vinegar, along with the richness of the olive oil.  I think I’ve created a monster because I shall be craving this for days to come!

*Roasted Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Salad*
with an Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Earthy and rich and tangy delicious.  This is a winner all round.

150g log of soft Goat’s Cheese (about 3/4 cup)
4 medium sized beetroot, washed, trimmed and unpeeled
6 cups of baby salad greens (try to get a nice mix including baby
beetroot greens)
a large handful of walnuts, toasted and then chopped

For the Vinaigrette:
4 tsp Dijon mustard
3 TBS good quality olive oil
3 TBS white wine vinegar
2 TBS good quality orange marmalade
(fine shred if possible)
pinch salt

Make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and giving them a good shake together. 

Divide your salad greens amongst 4 chilled salad plates.  Peel and slice the beetroot.   Arrange an equal amount on top of each plate of greens.  Place 3 walnut coated balls of goats cheese on top of each.   Give your dressing a good shake again and the drizzle an even amount over each salad. Serve immediately.

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