beet watermelon salad
Watermelon Salad Recipes
If there’s anything about some of my recipe creations I know it’s the ‘unexpected.’ Yes, I believe in mixing it up, trying new things, looking at ingredients in different ways, in different combinations. And, I think this beet watermelon salad falls into that genre of Ally recipes.
Watermelon is such a diverse fruit. Most of us love eating this juicy sweet goodliness with just a sprinkle maybe of sea salt. But, wait, there are so many other things we can do with watermelon, including grilling watermelon!
Like watermelon for salads, I love fennel for salads! Try my easy healthy Fennel Salad with Apples. So refreshing!
Beet Salad
Beets are certainly considered a super food. And, I love combining red and golden beets to get more of those rainbow colors into the recipe.
I think what inspired me with this beet watermelon salad was first of all my visit to a farmer’s market where I feasted my eyes on the harvests of the gods. Beets. Watermelon. Fresh spinach. Apples. And, more. The colors were spectacular. It was like an artist’s paint brush had gently stroked everything I saw on the tables and in the baskets.
Goat Cheese on Salad
Goat’s milk is just perfect for making delicious cheeses, and goat cheese is one of my favorites. But, there are many other types of goat cheese like chabichou, majorero, picodon, bucheron, garrotxa cheese. Yes, all probably not readily available, but, nonetheless made from goat’s milk. Goat cheese is not to be confused with feta cheese. Just remember that goat cheese is made from goat’s milk and feta cheese is made from sheep’s milk. However, there can be a tiny bit of goat milk in feta!
Goat cheese with its tangy creamy flavor is perfect on a salad. And, it compliments the sweet watery watermelon and juicy beets. So adding just of goat cheese on salad brings on new palate dimensions.
Goat cheese is ever so versatile. Check out this Goat Cheese Spinach Tart! Perfect for Sunday Brunch.
Watermelon and Beet Salad
When I got home from the farmer’s market with my bounty, my creative mind went into overdrive. Rather than do something expected with the beets, like a soup, I decided that the red and yellow beets would look amazingly gorgeous with the ruby red of the watermelon. Now, it did take a little bit of effort to dice all these beautiful ingredients, but it was so worth the extra time when I looked at the finished product. Plus, dicing the watermelon and beets just made it easier to eat. To pierce with a fork or scoop onto a spoon.
If you're not serving the salad immediately, do not put the vinaigrette on. Simply cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad. Just in case you don't know how to cook the beets. Wash them. Slice off the top and bottom (just a little). Cut in halves or fourths. Put in a pot. Cover with water. Cover and cook over about medium heat. You'll know they're done when a toothpick or skewer can pierce them. Drain. Cool. Peel off skins. Then start slicing and dicing. 
beet watermelon salad
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
beet watermelon salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups watermelon, seedless, diced
- 1 cup red beets, peeled, cooked & diced
- 1 cup yellow beets, peeled, cooked & diced
- 1 cup apple, crispy, red skin on, diced
- ¼ cup fresh basil, packed & chopped
- 3 cups fresh spinach, packed & chopped
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. coarse ground pepper
- 1 lemon, juice
- 3 Tbl. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
-
¼ cup salty pistachios
Instructions
- Combine in a large mixing bowl the watermelon, beets, apple, basil, spinach and toss with your hands.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Whisk and blend. Pour over the salad mixture and toss.
- Top with goat cheese and pistachios. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you're not serving the salad immediately, do not put the vinaigrette on. Simply cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad.
Just in case you don't know how to cook the beets. Wash them. Slice off the top and bottom (just a little). Cut in halves or fourths. Put in a pot. Cover with water. Cover and cook over about medium heat. You'll know they're done when a toothpick or skewer can pierce them. Drain. Cool. Peel off skins. Then start slicing and dicing.
Oh Ally . I just finished a big bowl of this salad for lunch . It is absolutely delicious with multiple dimension of bursting flavors. Thanks you.
Dawn Dawn!! You’ve made my day! I agree, it’s bursting w/flavors…unexpected, too! Thank you, luv! xoxx ally
Hi Mama Ally,
Could I substitute another nut for the pistachios in this recipe?
Hi, dear Helene! Yes, of course! Salted cashew nuts would be good (just kinda rough chop!) xoxx Mama Ally
i am about to make this watermelon and beet salad of yours, i dont see how to cook the beets. thank you
Hi, Renee! Beets are simple to cook. You can put in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to boil, reduce to like medium, cover and cook until you can pierce them through with like a wooden skewer. Another strategy: put them in a casserole dish, add about a cup of water, cover tightly with foil and roast at 400 until tender and pierced with skewer. Since beets are all different sizes, timing will be different. Once they’re cooked and cooled, peel, sliced and dice for your salad. Make sense? xoxox ally
Ally, do you have the nutritional information for this salad (and for any of your other recipes)?
Hi! I didn’t use NY in this recipe. But I do love it and use in lots of other recipes. Here you go. Check some of them! xoxx ally https://allyskitchen.com/?s=NUTRITIONAL+YEAST
Could you use pickled beets ? We can our own so just wondering.
Hi! No, pickled beets won’t give you the outcome. Fresh is so much better and the flavors combine with the other ingredients much better. Beets are easy to cook, peel and dice. Go with fresh, luv! xoxx ally
Hi there I was just wondering if roasting the beets would change the flavor of the salad? Thank you
Hi, Whitney! We roasted the beets for it last night. It really didn’t alter the taste, texture, flavor at all. So, oven roast or cook on stove top, cool, peel and dice! Enjoy! It’s a uniquely amazing salad! xoxx ally
Hi Mama Ally,
Love your recipes and have purchased one of your books. Love it!
Please can you tell me how much water was used in the pan to cook the beets?
I know to set oven to 380 and cook covered with foil for an hour but didn’t catch how much was Bobby said to use.
Thanks!
Cynthia
Hi, dear Cynthia! Thank you! If you follow @tobycooking on IG, you’ll see that she’s done a few of my recipes from the cookbook, too! She makes them look really great! I cover with about 3 inches of water and simmer boil to cook. You can also do in the oven like Bobby did last night. Put in a casserole baking dish or pan, a little EVOO, cover tightly with foil and roast in the oven (375) until done. Since beets vary in size, the timing will be adjusted accordingly. Make sense? Hope to see more of you, luv! xoxx ally
Yum mama Ally ! ❤️❤️
Thank you darlin!!!