Orange and Beet Salad

Brighten you day with this colorful beet salad with sliced beets, navel oranges, red onions, arugula in a light vinaigrette.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated September 17, 2023
Elise Bauer
Pouring vinaigrette over a salad of beets and oranges.

Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

Winter may be dreary, but it's the best time of year for colorful citrus fruits and beets! This is a quick and easy salad that can brighten any winter day with beets, slices of orange, red onions, and arugula.

You can either roast or boil the beets. Roasting will give you more flavor, boiling takes less time and doesn't use as much energy to cook the beets.

Toss the oranges and beets in a light vinaigrette and serve with peppery baby arugula.

Pouring vinaigrette over a salad of beets and oranges.

Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

Orange and Beet Salad

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 bunch beets, leaves removed (save them for beet greens!) - about 4 or 5 medium sized, scrubbed clean

  • 2 large naval oranges, peels cut off with a small small knife and sliced

  • 1/2 bunch arugula leaves, cleaned, and any thick stems removed

  • Several thin slices of red onion

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the vinaigrette:

  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Cook the beets:

    You can either boil or roast the beets. To boil the beets, cover the unpeeled beets with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes or until beets can easily be pierced through with a fork.

    If you prefer to roast the beets instead of boiling them, wrap the unpeeled beets in aluminum foil and bake them in the oven at 400°F for an hour or until done. (See our Roasted Beets recipe.)

    After cooking, allow the beets to come to room temperature and remove their peels. Slice or quarter them.

    If you have time, place them in a small bowl and marinate them in half of the oil and vinegar dressing.

  2. Make the dressing:

    While the beets are cooking, make the dressing by putting all of the dressing ingredients into a jar. Seal and shake until the dressing is well blended.

    Making vinaigrette for a winter salad.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
    Making vinaigrette for a winter salad.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
  3. Compose the salad:

    Compose individual salad plates with arugula, a few slices of orange, a few beets, a few slices of red onion and a few chopped walnuts.

    If you want some added color, gently add a few slices of the orange to the beet juice from your bowl of beets. Let the oranges absorb the beet color and use in your salad.

    Sprinkle dressing over the individual salads.

    Three plates with a sliced beet and orange salad.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
175 Calories
14g Fat
13g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 175
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 86mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 55mg 277%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 210mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.