Beetroot Pomegranate Goat Cheese Salad

Beetroot Pomegranate Goat Cheese Salad is an inspiration from a local German restaurant. Before I relocated to Germany, I had never eaten beetroot in any form. The pickled beetroot is one of the vegetables available year-round in German supermarkets. The fresh beetroot is only seasonally available. Germans use beetroot as the salad ingredient or for cooking.

The pickled beetroot prepared in apple vinegar is sweet and sour, but some people do not like it because of the heavy acid flavour. However, as an iron-rich food, I love to eat them in every form. In my recipe, I use the honey flavoured sauce to balance the heavy acid taste.

Pomegranate was my favourite fruit in my childhood because of its countless seeds. I ate them one by one and enjoyed the bright red colour. Now, I still like this fruit because it tastes and looks so good in my salads. I also like the Pomegranate syrup for many drinks, such as Grenadine Vodka Pomegranate Juice Cocktail.  

In this recipe, the goat cheese mellows the peppery taste of the arugula, while the beetroot and pomegranate offer a sweet contrast to the arugula’s bitter note. The first time I made this Beetroot Pomegranate Goat Cheese Salad was on my birthday. And, I received a WOW compliment! The festive salad is a fabulous choice for every significant occasion.

What are the main Ingredients

This recipe uses four main ingredients, beetroot, goat cheese, Pomegranate, and arugula.

Beetroots

The beetroots have essential nutrients and are a great source of vitamin B9, iron, and vitamin C, etc. I seldom eat raw beats. For this recipe, I use the pickled beetroots since it is always available in the German supermarkets. 

Pomegranate

The arils or flesh-covered seeds of this fruit taste great on their own. Look for pomegranates that have deep red skin. The deeper the colour of the red on the outside, the riper the fruit will be. Besides, choose the heavy one, which means the arils inside are full of juice. The pomegranate seeds add great crunch and sweetness to the salad.

Goat cheese

Since goat cheese has a wide variety of styles, I choose creamy goat cheese. It goes well with the peppery arugula.

Arugula

The edible plant in the brassica family is originally from the Mediterranean and is seen in Italian and French cuisines very often. Arugula has a spicy taste and a strong aroma. Choose the baby arugula for its more delicate leaves and flavour.

Vinaigrette dressing

The dressing combines honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh-squeezed orange juice, etc. The amount I use in the recipe below is adjustable, depending on personal taste.

How to make Beetroot Pomegranate Goat Cheese Salad

First, wash the green salad and arugula. Then remove the pomegranate seeds. I cut the fruit in half. And then gently remove the seeds. Lastly, cut the beetroot into thin slices. The pickled beetroots are pretty soft. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a mandoline slicer for the cutting. Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside.

To make the salad look appealing, I mix the arugula and salad well and lay them on the plates. Then crumble goat cheese and toss pomegranate seeds to the plate.

Now, I roast the pine nuts. The pine nuts can quickly get brown. Make sure do not overcook. Add the roasted pine nuts to the plates and serve with vinaigrette dressing.

Tips for the recipe

I alter the ingredients to create variations of the recipe:

• Replace the goat cheese with the feta cheese.
• Mix with other green salads to reduce the sharp flavour of the arugula.
• Use raw beetroot instead of pickled beetroot. It would take some time to cook the raw beetroot. 

Did you make the recipe?

You can save the recipe or pin it for future cooking. I’d love to know how it turned out for you! Please let me know by leaving a review below and tag @cuisinereinvented on Instagram and hashtag it #cuisinereinvented.