Avocado & Roasted Beet Salad w/ Goat Cheese, Rosemary-Honey Roasted Walnuts & Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Fresh, fun, and fabulous .....................
................. that's how I"d describe this wonderful salad. And if you use pre-roasted beets (available at many markets, in the produce department) you can add the word "fast" to the description too!

If you're looking for a delicious, unique salad, whip up a batch of the yummy dressing and give it a go. If you're not used to making homemade dressings, this is a no-brainer. Just throw everything in a glass jar and give it a good shake.  I have the feeling that once you try it, you'll find yourself shying away from store-bought dressings as there's no comparison in flavor and freshness. And guess what? .............. Homemade salad dressings are MUCH cheaper than the gourmet dressings you'll find at the market and the ingredients are simple and wholesome rather than Corn Syrup High Fructose, Xanthan Gum, Annatto Color, Caramel Color, Calcium Disodium EDTA To Preserve Freshness ............ a few of the ingredients in a popular grocery store dressing.

The salad ingredients pair together beautifully; crisp, sweet butter lettuce, creamy avocado, ruby red beets and crumbled tangy goat cheese. The crowning glory is a scatter of Rosemary-Roasted Honey Walnuts, a sweet/salty, yummy nut recipe I posted last Friday.

If you need a delicious salad for a dinner party or special occasion or just want to make an everyday meal extraordinary you've come to the right place. It's all together a quite delightful salad ........... once you try it, you'll find yourself making it again and again.

P.S. On a side note; one of my favorite things about blogging is the friends I've met from all over the world. This weekend while attending a wedding in Chicago, I was able to meet for coffee with one of my favorite bloggers, Glenda from Gg- Notes on the Journey. While not a food blogger, Glenda blogs words of wisdom and encouragement on a wide variety of topics and her journeling is always inspirational and thought provoking for me. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other; I discovered she's just as wonderful in person as I imagined! You can check out her blog here.

Avocado & Roasted Beet Salad w/ Goat Cheese, Rosemary-Honey Roasted Walnuts & Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Ingredients for the dressing:
lemon zest, from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice*
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Ingredients for the salad:

1 6.5-ounce bag butter lettuce (or 2 medium heads, washed, spun dry and torn into bite-size pieces.

1 large avocado
2 medium size beets, roasted*** and cut in bite size pieces
2-3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled**
½  cup Rosemary-Roasted Honey Walnuts

Instructions for the dressing: 

1. Place all ingredients in a glass jar and cover tightly. Shake well, that's it!

Instructions for the salad:

Arrange all ingredients except walnuts on a large platter or on individual size serving plates. Drizzle with the dressing. Scatter with the walnuts. Pass extra dressing at the table.

Notes:

* ~ Most average size lemons yield around 2 /1 - 3 tablespoons of juice, if you're a bit shy, don't worry the dressing will be fine.

** ~ I find that a creamy goat cheese is much easier to crumble if you place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before
*** To roast beets; preheat oven to 400F. Wrap clean, unpeeled beets loosely in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until soft and tender about 50-60 minutes. Check after about 40 minutes. A fork should slide easily to the middle of the beet. Allow to cool in foil, then peel with a small sharp knife or use a paper towel to rub skin off. Roasted beets can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also purchase roasted beets in many larger grocery stores. Trader Joes carries them all year long.
~ This salad is also wonderful as a whole-meal-salad with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Serves 4-6 as a side salad

PRINTABLE RECIPE