Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Fresh beets are roasted until tender and topped with tangy crumbled goat cheese & sweet balsamic reduction.

And just like that, it's September. When did that happen?!

It doesn't FEEL like fall (technically we still have a couple weeks), but we all know fall is coming, right?

Enter: All the roasted veggies.

Seriously - if there is a vegetable you don't like, just try roasting it and see if you change your mind. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and makes them SO GOOD. I actually didn't think I liked beets for a very long time...they kind of always tasted like dirt and seemed a little mushy to me. (A ringing endorsement - I know - but wait, it gets better.)

But then I had roasted beets and what I came to realize is that it's CANNED beets I don't like! Seriously the difference between the two is night and day.

This simple combo of roasted beets with goat cheese and balsamic is the perfect way to highlight them. The tangy goat cheese is such a great accompaniment to the sweet, earthy flavor of the beets, and the balsamic reduction brings in a fantastic pop of acidity and sweetness.

Bonus: It turns out beets are really healthy for you too, so you can feel great while eating this absolutely delicious recipe!

The downside of preparing fresh beets is that they stain like craaazy. But! There are a few simple things you can do to make that less of an issue. First: Wear an apron to protect your clothes. I love aprons and I always wear them when I'm cooking anyways because I'm a bit of a messy cook, but they definitely come in handy with beets! Second: Cover your cutting board with a piece of parchment paper. Even if you slice through the paper a little bit when you're chopping them up, it will still keep the vast majority of stains off your cutting board, which you will be very happy about when it's time to do dishes.

(FYI - beets stain all the things. This is not limited to external things, if you catch my drift...just don't be alarmed when you use the facilities later.)

This is a very low-maintenance side dish because it tastes great warm, room temperature, or even cold right out of the fridge.

Yummy noises await you!

5 from 3 votes

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Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Fresh beets are roasted until tender and topped with tangy crumbled goat cheese & sweet balsamic reduction. 

Course: Side Dish

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs fresh raw beets
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 Tbsp balsamic reduction*
• 3 Tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim the root end off beets, peel with a vegetable peeler, and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks. Transfer to a baking sheet, add olive oil, salt, pepper & thyme and toss to combine. Spread out into a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until fork-tender. 

2. Allow to cool slightly, and transfer to a serving platter. Top with crumbled goat cheese, balsamic reduction, and a little more fresh thyme, salt & pepper. Enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

*Balsamic reduction has a more concentrated flavor and and is thicker & more syrupy than standard balsamic vinegar. You can purchase balsamic reduction ready made at the store, or you can make your own by simmering balsamic vinegar until it's reduced, thick & syrupy. 

 

This dish tastes great warm, room temperature, or cold right out of the fridge!