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Pomegranate roasted beets with goat cheese on a large white serving plate, with a serving spoon.
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5 from 1 vote

Pomegranate Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese

I like to serve this salad on a bed of lightly steamed beet greens because it’s a nice textural contrast, it looks really pretty, the greens are full of good nutrients that shouldn’t go to waste, and they're free! How many more reasons do you need?
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 405

Ingredients

For the pomegranate vinaigrette

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

For the beets

  • 3 bunches (2 1/2 lbs total) of small young beets with greens (about 12 beets)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
  • 4 ounces firm fresh goat cheese
  • 4 or 5 fresh chives, chopped
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the pomegranate vinaigrette

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, pomegranate molasses, salt, and black and Aleppo pepper.

Make the beets

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Separate the beets from the greens and wash both well, scrubbing the beets with a brush. Place the whole beets on sheets of heavy-duty foil (if using a mix of varieties, use a separate sheet for each color). Drizzle each pile of beets with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the thyme. Fold the foil up and over them to seal tightly.
  • Put the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the tip of a knife pierces a beet easily, 60 to 75 minutes. Let the beets cool in their packets.
  • While the beets are roasting, cut the beet greens and about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of the stems crosswise into thin strips.
  • In a medium saucepan, bring 1/2-inch (12 mm) water to a boil and add the greens. Cook until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, turning with tongs to ensure they cook evenly. Drain the greens and arrange them on a large serving platter.
  • Once the beets are cool enough to handle, cut off the pointed tips and stem ends, and cut the beets into wedges, leaving the skins on. Scatter them over the beet greens.
  • Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and crumble the goat cheese over everything. Drizzle with enough pomegranate vinaigrette to coat and garnish with the chives.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 417mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 18g