Have you ever had a plated salad at a fancy-schmancy restaurant? The kind where you take a bite and wonder how they came up with and made these few ingredients taste so amazing!
Well, I did it!
This is, hands-down, the best salad I have ever made.
I say this in fear of sounding like a freak, but every bite was, well, orgasmic.
Seriously!
Funny enough, the only reason I made it was because I had a package of cooked beets in the fridge that were about to expire. I bought some pears for the 9-Year-Old who requested them, and when I was shopping this weekend I spied goat cheese. Something I has never, ever bought.

Someone mentioned in a comment how well goat cheese and beets go together so I figured, what the heck? I'll give it a try.
Well, I'm glad I did! What an awesome combo!
I found goat cheese to be similar to feta but not as salty. Which reminds me, if you don't have goat cheese, feta would probably work, too.
I'm really into beets and mint together. It adds such a freshness while turning down that famous beet earthiness.
The pear was a great addition, adding sweetness and a different texture that really complemented the beets.
Here's what I did...
Ingredients
- ~20 fresh mint leaves (¼ teaspoon dried mint should work)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Healthy pinch of salt
- 8.8 oz (250g) roasted or cooked beets (I buy them cooked from Costco, but you can use canned or roast your own)
- 1 Bartlett pear
- 1 oz crumbled goat cheese
- 1 oz (28g) walnuts
Instructions
Whisk and smash the mint, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to make the dressing.
Set aside.
Prepare the beets and the pear by cutting them in half and then slicing. Place them in a large bowl with the walnuts and goat cheese.
Pour the dressing on top and toss!
Separate into 2 servings or pile on a plate for a tasty lunch!
I ate half and saved the other mostly because I wanted to see how this salad would hold up. It was good the next day but much better fresh, so this is one salad I recommend making and eating right away to prevent the pears from softening too much.
📖 Recipe
Pear and Beet Salad With Walnuts and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 20 fresh mint leaves ¼ teaspoon dried mint should work
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 8.8 oz 250g roasted or cooked beets (I buy them cooked from Costco, but you can use canned or roast your own)
- 1 Bartlett pear
- 1 oz crumbled goat cheese
- 1 oz 28g walnuts
Instructions
- Whisk and smash the mint, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to make the dressing.20 fresh mint leaves, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 pinch of salt
- Set aside.
- Prepare the beets and the pear by cutting them in half and then slicing. Place them in a large bowl with the walnuts and goat cheese.8.8 oz 250g roasted or cooked beets (I buy them cooked from Costco, but you can use canned or roast your own), 1 Bartlett pear, 1 oz crumbled goat cheese, 1 oz 28g walnuts
- Pour dressing on top and toss!
Joshua Hampton
This salad looks so fancy indeed. I love goat cheese, and I like the pear and beet combo.
Berta Bennett
I love beets in salads, including raw. A good combo is beets, apples, green cabbage and carrots. Yum.