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It’s the beginning of summer here in Vermont, the few remaining geese are flying north, and the sun is staying up later. This means warmer days and the beginning of BBQ dinners with friends and family. Finally! Speaking of BBQ’s, this spinach kale and beet salad with goat cheese will stand out in any BBQ spread.
Goat cheese pairs well with beets – the slight sweetness of beets and tart creaminess of the goat cheese are a match made in heaven for the savory palate. I used herbed goat cheese in this salad, but any type of goat cheese will do. I had kale spinach and beet salad with goat cheese at a restaurant last fall when I was away for a couple of days with the family. It was excellent, so I had to try my hand at recreating it.
Spinach Kale and Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
This salad recipe uses both spinach and kale. You may want to use baby kale salad greens instead of the large kale you find in bunches in your produce section as baby kale will have a less hearty texture. I incorporated pea shoots to the salad, but any in-season green like sprouts would do; however, I find pea shoots give it a nice crunch.
For the beets, you could boil a few fresh beets or purchase pre-cooked beets. I used ‘Love Beets’ that I found in the chilled produce section, but I’ve also used local pickled beets with excellent results. They are all ready for you to just open, slice, and add to your salad. Use a large shallow bowl to serve this salad so you can neatly arrange the beets on top. Top the salad with fresh sliced strawberries, segments of a naval orange, pepitas (raw green pumpkin seeds), and herbed goat cheese from Vermont Creamery. Make the dijon vinaigrette and serve on the side.
Buy Local – Farm to Table
Vermont Creamery makes excellent goat cheese and has won multiple awards for its products. You’ll find a variety of products from cows and goat’s milk on their website. Check out local goat farms in your area and try their products.
The pea shoots in this salad were from a local Vermont farm, Small Axe Farm. I often purchase their greens at our local grocery store. Check out a local farmstand, CSA, or your grocers for local farm produce.
Recipe Health Benefits
- Kale
- One of the worlds most nutrient-dense foods
- High in Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C
- Contains cancer-fighting substances, high in antioxidants
- Spinach
- Low calorie
- High in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A (eye health), vitamin C (skin and immune function), Iron (oxygenates tissues)
- May decrease risk of heart disease and cancer
- See complete health benefits of spinach
- Beets
- Can lower blood pressure only a few hours after consuming
- Produces energy within your cells
- May help fight inflammation
- Good source of fiber for digestive health
- See complete health benefits of beets
- Goats Cheese
- High in protein
- Good source of selenium, magnesium, and niacin (vitamin B3)
- Healthy fats contribute to satiety and benefit weight loss
- See complete health benefits of goats cheese
Recipe Pairing
Enjoy this recipe with this Country Baby Back Rib recipe.
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 oz baby spinach greens
- 3 oz baby kale greens
- a handful of fresh pea shoots
- 2-3 beets – halved and sliced
- 2 oz herb goat cheese – crumbled
- 3 strawberries – sliced
- 1 naval orange – sectioned
- 2 tbsp green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine
- 1 tbsp brown mustard
- 1 tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp thyme
Instructions
- Toss the spinach, kale, and pea shoots together and spread out on the bottom of a shallow serving bowl.
- Next, layer on the sliced beets, strawberries, orange, goat cheese and sprinkle with pepitas. Set aside.
- Vinegarette: Using a blender or food processor, add all your dressing ingredients except for the olive oil. Turn the blender/food processor on low and slowly add your olive oil and blend for about 45 seconds or until well incorporated. Pour into a dressing jar or other container.
- Serve either dressed or with the vinegarette on the side. Enjoy!