Crispy Roasted Beet and Cucumber Salad (lemon ginger dressing)

Crispy roasted beets bring unique flavor and texture to the typical beet salad: the beets are crisp and savory on the outside, soft, sweet, and chewy in the middle. Combined with cucumbers, pistachios, peppery arugula, quinoa, fresh herbs, and a perfectly balanced lemon ginger dressing, this vegan Roasted Beet and Cucumber Salad is a definite crowd-pleaser.

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Why this recipe works, and why you’ll love it

This cucumber beetroot salad has the perfect balance of freshness, crunch, sweetness, tart, and optional kick! Leveraging my Easy Crispy Roasted Beets recipe, I have parlayed them into this scrumptious salad. This dish is:

Bright with fresh lemon juice

Fresh…can’t beat those fresh herbs!

Healthy

Versatile…can be a starter, side dish, salad, or light main course

Festive for entertaining

Vegan

Ingredient Notes

See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and further ingredient information.

• Beets – This superfood root vegetable is the star ingredient in this salad. Roasting the beets in pieces with the skin on (instead of roasting them whole in foil like most other recipes) brings a unique texture and flavor to this beet salad.  Any variety will work beautifully in this easy roasted beet recipe: golden, red, white, pink, candy striped, etc. Or use a mix of beet varieties together! To avoid color bleed, separate the different beet varieties when cutting, mixing, and roasting (see photos below).

• Arugula – This peppery green works beautifully with the natural sweetness of beets, and the shape and firmer texture holds up better than mixed greens to the heavy beets.

• Pistachios – Not only do pistachios accentuate the earthy flavor of the beets, but their firmer texture keeps longer than other nuts if sitting in the dressing for a while. Roughly chop the nuts for a more delicate and easy-to-eat-all-the-flavors-in-one-bite kind of salad😉

• Quinoa – Quinoa makes for a heartier salad, and therefore it can be a light meal! Plus, quinoa adds texture and visual interest, not to mention a whole lot of nutrient density!

• Fresh Herbs – Fresh herbs take this salad to the next level with their fragrance and fresh garden taste. I love to use a combination of fresh mint and dill, but parsley, basil, cilantro, and chives would also be delicious.

• Lemon Ginger Dressing – The fresh ginger in this lemon dressing is really what sets this recipe apart from others…and ginger and beets are truly a match made in heaven! The bright citrusy lemon in this dressing is balanced with that kick of ginger, elegant heat from dijon mustard, and sweetness of maple syrup.

• Vegan Feta (optional) – A little dose of savory crumbled cheese is a popular complement for roasted beets, especially in a salad. And plant-based cheeses have come a long way in the past few years…there are now some vegan feta cheeses on the market that will fool any guest!

Pin this Vegan Beet Quinoa Salad for later:

Substitutions

• Roasted Beets: Not enough time or energy to roast beets? Buying pre-cooked beets or quickly steaming them will work too. While the beets won’t have the same crispy texture, the salad will still be PACKED with flavor!

• Greens: Not an arugula fan? Use any greens of choice. Kale and beets pair especially well in a salad as the kale will hold up to the heavy beets without getting soggy.

• Vegetables: If you don’t want to use cucumbers, fresh shaved fennel bulbs are a beautiful substitution. Or, roast other root vegetables like carrots and parsnips with the beets and add them to the salad too for a beautiful hearty salad.

• Nuts: Any roasted nut would work well in this salad. In addition to pistachios, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, or almonds would pair beautifully. Or, use roasted chickpeas in place of nuts for a lower fat option.

• Grains: You can easily substitute out quinoa for another grains like farro, barley, bulgar wheat, or even couscous. Or omit altogether for a lighter salad.

• Herbs: Any fresh herbs will work in this salad. Or, try fennel fronds for a unique twist. If you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, add 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite dried herb to the lemon ginger salad dressing!

• Dressing: Not a fan of ginger? The lemon vinaigrette works well without the ginger too (I tried it when developing this recipe!). Balsamic, apple cider, white wine, or red wine vinaigrette are also good substitutions.

Additions

• Fresh citrus like orange or mandarin slices will brighten up this beet salad even more.

• Seeds like hemp or sesame seeds can add more texture and visual interest.

• For a heartier salad, add canned or roasted chickpeas or other beans to this beet, quinoa, and arugula salad to make it a meal!

Equipment Needed

• cutting board
• silicon liner or parchment paper (optional)
• sharp knife
• cookie sheet
• jar with lid or bowl and whisk
• salad bowl or platter

Step by step: How to make this Beet and Cucumber Salad

Prepare Roasted Beets & Quinoa

• Preheat oven to 400° for beets.

• Cook quinoa according to packaging instructions. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before adding to salad.

• While quinoa is cooking, prepare beets for roasting. First, clean beets. Cut off stems and skinny part of root. No need to peel, the skin will aid in crispy texture!
  • Expert Tips:
    • If using more than one variety of beets, consider prepping each color separately to avoid staining lighter colors.
    • Especially if using red beets, consider using silicon mat or plastic cutting board to avoid staining wooden cutting board.

• Cut beets into 1/2 inch thick slices, ideally with 2 flat surfaces. This will aid in cooking more evenly and also make flipping the beets easier in the oven.

• Toss beets, oil, salt, and cayenne (optional) together into mixing bowl and stir.

• Transfer beets to cookie sheet or baking pan. Avoid overlapping pieces.
  • Expert tip: Especially if using red beets, use silicon baking sheet or parchment paper over pan for easier clean up.

• Roast beets at 400 degrees for about 35-45 minutes, turning once at the 16-17 minute mark. Cook times will vary depending on oven and size of beet slices.

• Check beets towards end of cook time around 30-33 minutes to avoid burning. Ideal texture is soft on the inside and slightly crisp on outside, especially the skin parts.

• Once cooked, allow beets to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving on salad.

Make Dressing

• Add all dressing ingredients to a jar (be sure to grate your ginger!) with lid and shake to combine. Or add all ingredients except the oil to a bowl, and then slowly add oil while whisking dressing together.
• Allow dressing to sit for at least 15 minutes for flavors to combine (in refrigerator or on counter). Dressing can be made one day in advance.

Prepare Roasted Beet and Cucumber Salad

• Clean and prep all salad ingredients. For fresh herbs, pull leaves off of stem and tear apart into desired size for salad. This allows for larger bites and a prettier presentation than cutting the herbs.
• Salad is gorgeous both tossed and layered.
• For tossed salad, simply add all ingredients, add dressing and toss until combined.

• For layered salad, first toss arugula with half of the dressing.
• Layer salad as follows from bottom, spreading out the layers across the salad evenly:
  • dressed arugula
  • quinoa
  • cucumbers
  • roasted beets
  • pistachios
  • fresh herbs
  • vegan feta (optional)
  • fresh ground black pepper
• Drizzle remaining dressing over salad/toppings. Serve.

Leftovers

Dressed salad will keep in refrigerator for 2 days. Do not freeze salad.

Undressed beets can be frozen in air tight container for up to 4 months.

FAQs

If you like this salad recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Crispy Roasted Beets
• Simple Marinated Heirloom Tomato Salad
• Delicata Squash Vegan Bowl
• Quick High Protein Vegan Salad Ideas
• Trader Joe’s Salad Recipes & Ideas

Tried this cucumber beet salad recipe? I would love to know what you thought! Please rate and review below!

Cheers!

-Jenn