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Beet Napoleons with garlicky balsamic vinaigrette make an elegant salad or appetizer, and it’s a clever way to use up beets and greens you receive in your community supported agriculture box (or from your local farmer’s market). You’ll love each bite of these tender, roasted beets, herby goat cheese, and creamy, garlicky vinaigrette on top!
Want more elegant appetizer recipes? You’ll love these recipes for eggplant napoleons with whipped ricotta and these crostini with Brie, coppa, and raspberry.
Introduction
I used to shudder any time I received beets in my community-supported agriculture box, but once I tried roasted beets, I don’t feel that way anymore. Since I discovered my newfound love of beets, I decided to use them in a main dish salad that was ‘pretty’ enough to serve to lunching ladies at a church gathering. They are easy to assemble despite the ‘tower,’ and relatively inexpensive to make for a crowd!
Even though this is basically just a fancy salad, these beet napoleons with garlicky balsamic vinaigrette will bring a little glamor to your meal. This little stack of sweet and savory makes great use of minimal ingredients. You might find yourself making this again and again!
Ingredients
Curious what you need to make these impressive beet napoleons? Let me tell you about the key ingredients you’ll need to get cooking!
- Fresh Beets: Of course, this is the most important ingredient! I recommend using two different colors of beets (red and gold beets) if you can for an even more beautiful presentation.
- Goat Cheese: Purchase goat cheese that is already flavored with herbs, honey, or even truffle for a wonderful flavor. If you have plain cheese and want to add your own herbs, try minced tarragon, which is phenomenal with beets.
- Fresh Greens: I used a mix of small frisée (a type of endive) and mâche leaves to garnish these napoleons. If you don’t have these greens on hand, use any small greens, like microgreens, arugula (rocket), or even baby spinach.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Beet Napoleons
- Make the dressing. Blend all the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor until the dressing is blended and emulsified, about 1 minute.
- Roast the beets. Trim off the greens until there’s about 1 inch left, then toss them with olive oil and kosher salt. Wrap the beets in foil to make a pouch, then roast them at 350°F for 1 hour, or until the beets are fork tender.
- Prep the beets. Let them cool for 15 minutes, then rub off the skins to peel them. (Use gloves for this step to keep your hands from turning pink!) Discard the tops and dice the beets into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes. Mix the goat cheese with the herbs or honey if desired.
- Assemble the Napoleons. Layer the ingredients in a stainless steel presentation ring or large biscuit cutter. Start with a layer of diced beets, then add a layer of goat cheese and top with a final layer of diced beets.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garnish with the fresh greens. Serve right away and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
No, there’s no need to peel beets before roasting them! In fact, it’s much easier to roast them first and then peel them, since the cooking process loosens the skins. Simply let them cool for 15 minutes after roasting, then rub off the skins to peel them.
I recommend roasting beets at 350°F wrapped in foil. They will take about 1 hour to cook at this temperature. Just test them with a knife or fork; the beets will be tender and a knife or fork should go into the beet easily.
Yes, you definitely can make these beet napoleons in advance! Simply don’t add the greens and dressing until you’re ready to serve, and remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before dressing and serving.
Serving Beet Napoleons
These beet napoleons with garlicky balsamic vinaigrette are a vibrant and elegant appetizer that pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes. Serve them alone as a fancy salad, or enjoy it as a starter before a hearty main course, like heritage pork chops with au jus or this honey garlic pork tenderloin. To make a sophisticated brunch spread, serve it with this spinach quiche with bacon and bleu cheese or this smoked salmon brunch frittata!
Expert Tips
- The beet skins will come off easily if they are peeled while still warm. Using latex dish gloves to ‘peel’ the beets after roasting will prevent your fingertips from staining.
- Work atop waxed paper while assembling to avoid marking your china plates with beet juice before you finish. The waxed paper can be gently slid from beneath once the assembly is complete.
- When assembling the napoleons, the goat cheese need only be slightly colder than room temperature; just cold enough to be easily spooned and pressed into a layer.
Other Salad Recipes You’ll Love
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Beet Napoleons with Garlicky Balsamic Vinaigrette
Video
Ingredients
For the Garlicky Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 large clove garlic
- ¼ cup quality balsamic vinegar
- ¾ cup quality olive oil
For the Beet Napoleons
- 1 pound whole red and golden beets , scrubbed clean and dried
- 6 ounces goat cheese, with herbs or honey
- many small frisée or mâche leaves
- 3 tablespoons quality olive oil
- 1 good pinch Kosher salt
Instructions
Preparing the Vinaigrette
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and process for 1 minute, or until it's smooth and emulsified. Process for 30 seconds more just before drizzling over Napoleons.
Roasting the Beets
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Trim the beets to about 1 inch of the greens. Toss whole, in a large bowl with olive oil and a good pinch of Kosher salt. Turn out onto a large sheet of aluminum foil. Draw the foil in to create a pouch and seal it. (If using more than one color of beet, roast the colors separately in different aluminum baking pouches so the colors do not bleed together during roasting.)
- Roast the beets in the pouches on a baking sheet for 1 hour, or until a knife is easily inserted into the biggest beets.
- Allow beets to cool for only 15 minutes before 'peeling.' The skins will come off easily while the beets are still somewhat warm, so latex dish gloves help in this step. The skins should easily peel away with gentle rubbing. A knife may also be used if preferred. (If using different color beets, peel the darkest beets last.) It's okay if all of the skins do not come off, but try to get most of the skins. Discard the beet tops.
- Rough chop the beets into a 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice. Keep different colors separate, and rinse your knife in between colors.
Assembling the Napoleons
- Cut two, 6-inch squares of waxed paper or parchment and place on your serving plates. Place the presentation ring or biscuit cutter in the center of the waxed paper and set aside. (If you only have one ring or cutter, you will need to prepare each Napoleon separately.)
- Working inside the presentation ring or biscuit cutter, begin the base layer of beets. Scatter and press in gently so as to fill all edges and gaps, the base layer of beets. You may need to use a small spoon to get the pieces where you want them – it's a process. Build your base layer to about 1/2 to 3/4 inches tall.
- Using a clean small spoon, drop half of the goat cheese in small dollops atop the base layer of beets, filling all of the gaps and spaces. Using the back of that spoon or your fingers, gently press the goat cheese into the base layer. Do not pack the cheese down hard, rather press down but do so loosely. Only the outside of this cheese layer will be seen once assembled, so there's no need to smooth it out.
- Follow with the last layer of beets, again being sure to fill fill all edges and gaps. Again, only the outside of this beet layer will be seen once assembled so do not be concerned that the pieces are uneven on the top.
- Gently pull the waxed paper from beneath the Napoleon. Discard the waxed paper.
- Once both Napoleons are assembled, add 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette to the top of each, allowing the dressing to spill down and fill and flavor any interior nooks and crannies.
- Highlight the top with beautiful frisée or mâche leaves and additional vinaigrette spooned over the greens and drizzled down the sides of the Napoleon. Serve with soft warmed yeast rolls and softened assorted compound butters.
Notes
- You will be assembling the Napoleons on the plates you will be serving from, so be sure to line them with waxed paper or parchment before you begin.
- You will need a 3.25×1.5 inch (or slightly larger) stainless steel presentation cooking ring or biscuit cutter to achieve the ‘tower’.
- If using a presentation ring, use the food press included with the ring to push the Napoleon down while you lift the ring up and off the Napoleon. If using a biscuit cutter, use the back of a wide spoon to push the Napoleon down while you lift the ring up and off of the Napoleon.
- Using latex dish gloves to ‘peel’ the beets after roasting will prevent your fingertips from staining.
- If not serving immediately, the Napoleons may be refrigerated, assembled, but not dressed with the vinaigrette, for several hours. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before dressing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Your recipes blow me away! They are beautiful in presentation, complex “looking”, taste delicious……..just amazing, and mostly easy to make. You, my dear, need to become a graduate chef and open a restaurant!! You are my favorite food blogger. I have tried several of your amazing recipes and your dishes are always a huge hit. I will try this beautiful Beet Napoleon for a women’s lunch coming up. They will ooh and aah with this one!!
Becky, you are, from this day forward, president of my fan club! Girl, if I’m ever against the wall, I want YOU in my corner – thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Should you plan the Napoleon, look for unique colors of beets and not just the purple beets. I feel like colorful yellow and orange beets ‘win over’ the nay-sayers because they aren’t exactly sure of them and seem willing to at least try them. Ask me how I know this!!! Yup. I snuck that there veg into one of my dinner parties, and they mopped their plates. Let me know how it is enjoyed, Becky. You are so sweet to leave me this compliment. x-Jenny
Aww, thank you Jenny! Really, you don’t need to go culinary school, you need to TEACH at a culinary school!
I will find different colors of beets and knock their socks off. I’ll let you know!
Becky, it’s funny that you should say this…I have recently been approached to teach a culinary class! I am still in a great deal of shock at the offer, but…I AM STRONGLY CONSIDERING IT!
Beautiful and delish! We had an awesome beet salad recently at a restaurant and I was looking for something that was comparable! This recipe was definitely it!
Renee, I’m so happy you took me up on this one – it’s so good, isn’t it? Refreshing and the cheese can be changed up if you prefer feta or another soft cheese. You are sweet to swing back around to leave this comment – thank you! X – Jenny