This citrusy chard salad with beets and carrots will bring some much needed color to your winter plate! Thinly shaved beets and carrots, buttery avocado, tangy goat cheese, punchy shallots, and a bright citrus vinaigrette.
Wisconsin winters are long, and by mid-winter, I'm always craving something fresh and vibrant to bring me back to LIFE! That's where this chard salad with beets and carrots comes in.
It's packed with color, crunch, and a burst of citrus in every bite: featuring cool weather-hardy Swiss chard, thinly sliced raw beets and carrots, buttery avocado, tangy goat cheese, and a zippy citrus vinaigrette.
Whether you use chard or swap in your favorite greens, this salad is quick to make (just 15 minutes!) and perfect as a winter side or a hearty main with added protein (maybe oven roasted chicken or a simple baked salmon?). It's the kind of simple, nourishing dish that makes eating seasonally fun and colorful!
Key Ingredients & Notes
- Chard - While you can get chard in other seasons, it's particularly delicious in winter months and brings so much color to the table.
- Beets & carrots - Can be grown in most seasons as well, but in cooler months they taste exceptionally sweet.
For a spicy-sweet flavor twist, top this salad with maple cayenne toasted walnuts for an amazing crunch factor instead of sunflower seeds (though both are delicious).
Swaps
- Beets - If you're skeptical of raw beets, these simple herb-roasted beets OR easy whole roasted beets could be swapped in!
- Greens - I always encourage adapting recipes with the seasons, and with what you can buy locally! Kale, spinach, arugula, watercress, or red leaf lettuce would all taste great in this salad.
Let's Make This Salad!
Step 1: Prep veg
Prep your veg! Thinly slice carrots, beets, and shallot, chop your chard or greens (if needed) and cilantro, and dice your avocado. I can't recommend a mandolin enough for slicing the veggies ultra-thin.
Step 2: Make dressing
Shake together vinaigrette ingredients in a jar until fully emulsified
Step 3: Assemble!
Assembly time! Layer greens in a large serving bowl, and distribute carrots, beets, avocado, and shallots throughout. Sprinkle goat cheese and sunflower seeds on top. Pour citrusy vinaigrette over the top and gently toss to coat. You're done! Yum!
Sustainability Tips
- Save beet and carrot tops! Did you get whole beets or carrots in your CSA or at the market? Use the beet greens in this salad (feel free to combine with other greens). Save carrot tops for homemade pesto, or store them in a bag with other collected veggie scraps to make homemade veggie broth.
- Make it seasonal. Did you know that carrots and beets can be grown year-round in frost-free areas? This means it's possible to get these seasonally and locally in cooler areas (like Wisconsin) in all seasons. To enjoy in other seasons, simply swap out the greens for whatever is in season.
- Use it up. Do you have grains, beans, pasta, or protein in your fridge that need to be used up before they go bad? Toss them in with this salad for texture, flavor, and reducing waste.
Pairing Suggestions
Looks for some inspo on what to make with this salad? Here are some ideas for proteins and flavorful add-ins.
Did you try this citrusy salad with beets and carrots? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
Print📖 Recipe
Simple Chard Salad with Beets and Carrots
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3-5 servings 1x
Description
This simple chard salad with beets and carrots is fresh, vibrant, and nourishing. Featuring leafy greens, crisp raw beets, crunchy carrots, and a bright citrus vinaigrette, it comes together in just 15 minutes. Enjoy it as a refreshing side or add protein for a more complete meal!
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 bunch chard or your favorite greens (~4 cups)
- 1 beet
- 1 carrot
- 1 shallot
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or light vinegar)
- juice from 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep veggies. Peel your beet, carrot, and shallot, and slice them paper thin (a mandolin slicer is the best for this!). Chop salad greens, dice avocado, and finely chop fresh cilantro.
- Vinaigrette. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar, cover, and shake vigorously until completely emulsified.
- Assemble! Layer the veggies into a large serving bowl. I like to place the greens at the bottom and distribute other ingredients across the top. Drizzle dressing all over the salad and gently toss to get everything nice and coated. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Thinly slicing. I can't recommend a mandolin enough for thinly slicing the beets, carrots, and shallot! The results are paper thin veggie slices that soak up that citrus vinaigrette.
- Make ahead. This salad is best enjoyed immediately because the avocado browns quickly, and the beet tends to turn everything its own color. It still tastes great the next day, but if a pretty presentation matters to you, I'd assemble it right before serving. That said, you can prep individual ingredients and vinaigrette in advance, and store in the fridge until ready to assemble.
- Substitutions. Any leafy greens will work for this recipe! Adding thinly sliced apples is delicious. Swap feta for goat cheese, if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop; combine
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 406
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 575.6 mg
- Fat: 34.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.7 g
- Fiber: 8.8 g
- Protein: 11.3 g
- Cholesterol: 13.1 mg
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