Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad with Mint and Toasted Walnuts

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a salad with no greens. That counts as a salad, right? I eat SO many greens everyday, sometimes I’m just not in the mood. Can anyone relate? These roasted beets are so incredibly delicious I can’t stand it. And if you don’t like beets, this salad could totally change that for you. I’m serious!

It all starts with a mixture of red and golden beets. I mean how gorgeous are they?! They’re like little jewels.

Roasted fennel. OMG. One of my favorite things in the entire world. I initially fell in love with roasted fennel after developing this salad a few years back. It’s still to this day, probably my favorite salad recipe on the blog.

It gets so sweet and caramelized, and the flavor is just incredible. I could eat a whole sheet pan of it in one sitting. And I have.

I know I definitely have some polarizing flavors in here, but bear with me. One, beets. Two, fennel, and three, mint. I happen to absolutely love all three. They are SO refreshing and they just work so well together.

I paired this salad with a super easy lemon, dijon, honey, and olive oil vinaigrette. With the beautiful produce and real ingredients we’re working with, you really don’t need much.

And because I always gotta have crunch, I added toasted walnuts. Feel free to use your favorite nut though! Pistachios would be DELISH here, and so would almonds.

This is perfect for #meatlessmonday too!

Tell me, are you a beet lover or hater? And do you have any strong feelings toward fennel and/or mint?!

5 from 1 vote

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Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad with Mint and Toasted Walnuts

This beautiful salad is quick to make, healthy, and it's filled with roasted beets, roasted fennel, toasted walnuts, mint, and a lemony vinaigrette!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

• 6 medium beets, peeled, and cut into 1'' chunks (I used a mixture of red and golden)
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• salt and pepper
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon stone ground dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fennel fronds, chopped + extra for garnish (these are the dill-looking ends of the fennel bulb)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint + extra for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the beets to one sheet, and the fennel to the other. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each pan, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until beets are cooked through and fennel is golden. Let cool slightly.

2. While the beets and fennel are roasting, make the dressing. Combine lemon juice, dijon, honey, fennel fronds, and the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. To assemble the salad, add the beets and fennel to a large bowl. Add the toasted walnuts and toss. Add half to three quarters of the dressing and toss to coat. Add the mint and toss again. Serve with extra dressing, and extra chopped fresh mint and fennel fronds! This salad is fantastic warm, cold, or at room temp.