Best 8 Watercress And Beet Salad Recipes

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Watercress and beet salad is a vibrant, flavorful and nutritious dish that offers a delightful combination of textures and tastes. This salad is a great way to enjoy the freshness of watercress combined with the earthy sweetness of beets. It can be served as a light and refreshing starter or a satisfying side dish. The watercress and beet salad can also be enhanced with various dressings, nuts, and seeds for a more complex flavor profile.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

BEET SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE, WATERCRESS AND SHALLOT THYME DRESSING



Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Watercress and Shallot Thyme Dressing image

Beets are so humble. They may look funny raw but they're really diamonds in the rough. Their incredible color and flavor never cease to astound me. I dress the beets up with complementary ingredients that serve to make their flavor shine without overpowering. Beets are special and should be the only star on the stage.

Provided by Dave Lieberman

Categories     side-dish

Time 1h5m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

8 medium or 12 small beets
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Leaves from about 10 sprigs thyme
3 good pinches salt
10 grinds fresh black pepper
1 large bunch watercress
4 tablespoons cold goat cheese

Steps:

  • Cook beets in water to cover until tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Drain the beets and set aside to cool.
  • For the dressing, whisk together olive oil, shallot, half the lemon juice, the thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • While the beets are cooling, wash the watercress and trim the thicker stems from the leaves. Spread the trimmed watercress out over some paper towels to dry.
  • When the beets are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to peel off the beets skins, they should come off very easily.
  • Cut the beets into quarters lengthwise and then those pieces in half crosswise.
  • Place the beets and watercress in separate bowls. Divide the dressing between the 2 bowls. Toss the watercress and beets until evenly coated with the dressing.
  • Spread the watercress out on a serving platter to make a bed for the beets. Crumble the cold cheese into the beets and toss gently. Spread the beets over the bed of watercress and sprinkle with remaining lemon juice. Serve immediately.

ROASTED BEET, ENDIVE, ORANGE, AND WATERCRESS SALAD WITH KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY



Roasted Beet, Endive, Orange, and Watercress Salad with Kimberly Williams-Paisley image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Salad Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 12

6 large beets (about 2 pounds), scrubbed and stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
6 navel oranges
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 heads Bibb lettuce (1/2 pound), or 1 head Boston lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 heads Belgian endive (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bunch watercress
1/4 pound ricotta salata, or feta cheese, crumbled
Olive-oil, cooking spray

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place beets onto a sheet of parchment paper-lined foil; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap to enclose. Roast until tender, 45 to 55 minutes. Allow beets to cool.
  • Rub cooled beets with paper towels to remove skins. Reserve half a peeled beet, cutting the rest into 3/4-inch pieces; set aside.
  • Using a paring knife, remove peel, pith, and outer membranes from oranges. Working over a medium bowl to catch juices, carefully cut out each segment between membranes. Squeeze membrane to extract juice; discard. Set aside 1/4 cup juice, reserving the rest for another use.
  • In a blender jar, combine reserved half beet, reserved orange juice, red-wine vinegar, salt, and pepper; puree until smooth. With blender on, add canola oil, and process until combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons parsley.
  • Place lettuce, endive, watercress, chopped beets, oranges, and remaining parsley on a large platter. Just before serving, add vinaigrette; toss to combine. Garnish with ricotta salata, and serve.

HERBED GOAT CHEESE, ROASTED BEET, AND WATERCRESS SALAD



Herbed Goat Cheese, Roasted Beet, and Watercress Salad image

Categories     Salad     Vegetable     Broil     Roast     Thanksgiving     Goat Cheese     Beet     Watercress     Gourmet

Yield Serves 8

Number Of Ingredients 15

4 medium beets, scrubbed and trimmed, leaving about 1 inch of stems attached
For vinaigrette
1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For herbed goat cheese
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Montrachet or other soft goat cheese, cut into eight 1/2-inch rounds and chilled, covered
2 bunches watercress, coarse stems discarded, rinsed and spun dry (about 8 cups)

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Wrap beets tightly in foil and roast in middle of oven 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Unwrap beets carefully and cool until they can be handled. Discard stems and peel beets. Beets may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Cut each beet into 8 wedges and cover.
  • Make vinaigrette:
  • In a blender blend together mustard, vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper. With motor running add oil in a stream and blend until emulsified. Vinaigrette may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
  • Make herbed goat cheese:
  • In a bowl stir together bread crumbs, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Cut each cheese round in half crosswise. Coat each piece of cheese evenly with crumb mixture, pressing gently, and transfer to a baking sheet. Goat cheese may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Let cheese come to room temperature before proceeding.
  • Preheat broiler.
  • Broil goat cheese about 2 inches from heat until crumbs are lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
  • In a bowl toss watercress and onion with half of vinaigrette. Arrange watercress mixture, beets, and goat cheese on 8 salad plates and drizzle remaining vinaigrette over beets.

BEET AND WATERCRESS SALAD



Beet and Watercress Salad image

Make and share this Beet and Watercress Salad recipe from Food.com.

Provided by ellie_

Categories     Vegetable

Time 1h50m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

4 -6 beets, trimmed
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon shallot, chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch watercress, trimmed
1 head bibb lettuce, torn into 1-inch pieces
pepper

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 425-degrees F.
  • Prepare 2 parchment - lined pieces of foil - divide beets between the two pieces of parchment. Fold in half, crimping edges to seal. Place packets on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes - 1 hour, 30 minutes or until beets are tender. Cool and then peel beets. Cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges or rounds.
  • In a jar or bowl whisk together dressing ingredients (vinegar - sugar). Whisk in oil.
  • Arrange greens and beets on a platter or in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and season with pepper. Toss.

ROASTED GOLDEN-BEET, AVOCADO, AND WATERCRESS SALAD



Roasted Golden-Beet, Avocado, and Watercress Salad image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Salad Recipes

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 bunch (about 12 ounces) baby golden beets, trimmed and scrubbed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch (about 4 ounces) watercress, trimmed and large sprigs torn into 3-inch pieces
2 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1 ounce soft-ripened goat cheese, such as Humboldt Fog, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place beets on parchment-lined foil; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold parchment and foil into a packet and tightly seal; roast until beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Carefully open packet and let cool. Remove skins from beets and cut into wedges.
  • Combine beets, watercress, radishes, avocado, and chives in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together vinegar and remaining tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad, gently toss, and top with goat cheese.

BEET, CARROT, AND WATERCRESS SALAD



Beet, Carrot, and Watercress Salad image

The beets and carrots can be prepared in advance and incorporated with the rest of the ingredients just before serving.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Salad Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 10

4 medium-sized beets
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 small carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal, 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bunch watercress, washed and well-dried, bunch separated and thick stems removed
3 radishes, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

  • Place beets in a medium-sized saucepan with the vinegar and a large pinch of salt. Fill with water to cover. Cover with tin foil. Poke 4 holes in foil. Cook until beets are tender (a knife can easily pierce through), about 45 minutes. Allow beets to cool, then cut each into 8 wedges. Chill in refrigerator.
  • Pour a tablespoon of oil into a hot saute pan. Add the carrots and cook until golden brown on one side (medium-high heat). Add sugar and stir, cooking until tender and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Allow carrots to cool a bit, then chill in refrigerator.
  • Put the watercress in a salad bowl. Add the radishes, beets, and carrots. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

BEET AND WATERCRESS SALAD WITH GOAT'S CHEESE



Beet and Watercress Salad With Goat's Cheese image

Provided by Moira Hodgson

Categories     weekday, salads and dressings

Time 1h

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 bunch beets, without the leaves
2 bunches watercress
2 heads endive
1 clove garlic, crushed
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar to taste
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 slices fresh goat's cheese, in 1/2-inch thick rounds

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the beets in their skins until they are tender when tested with a skewer or sharp knife (one to two hours, depending on size). Remove, cool and peel. Cut into dice.
  • Trim the stalks from the watercress; separate the endive leaves and slice them into thin strips.
  • Combine the garlic, olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic and toss the watercress leaves and endive in the dressing, reserving a couple of spoonfuls of dressing for the beets. Toss the beets in remaining dressing.
  • Divide the salad equally among six dinner plates. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of dressed beets and place a disk of goat's cheese on top

WATERCRESS AND BEET SALAD



WATERCRESS AND BEET SALAD image

Categories     Salad     Dinner     Lettuce

Yield 2 bowls

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 Bunch of watercress washed and mostly de-stemmed
2 mini carrots grated over watercress (or can be added as garnish over top of finished salad)
1/3 c. goat cheese
¼ onion diced
½ clove garlic
2 large beets, sliced
½ - ¾ c. Balsamic Vinaigrette (preferably higher end)
1/3 c. Olive oil
¼ c. walnuts chopped
¼ c. whole walnuts
Pinch of brown sugar
Fresh ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Beets Mix ¼ to ½ c. balsamic, half of your olive oil, onions, brown sugar and sea salt/pepper with the sliced beets. Cook on medium low heat (3) covered for 20 minutes. Dressing Mix diced onion, garlic, goat cheese, remaining balsamic, remaining olive oil, and chopped walnuts. Mix well. Consistency should be creamy. Add balsamic if too thick or sticking together. Assembly of salad In a medium bowl, place watercress and dressing and mix until salad is covered. Spoon equal portions into salad bowl and top with finished beets. Garnish with whole walnuts and carrots, if not already mixed in. Finish with fresh ground pepper to taste.

Tips:

  • To save time, pre-cook the beets in advance and store them in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • If you don't have a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to create thin ribbons of beets.
  • Be sure to wash the watercress thoroughly before using it in the salad.
  • You can add other ingredients to the salad, such as crumbled feta cheese, chopped walnuts, or dried cranberries.
  • For a more flavorful salad, use a vinaigrette dressing made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard.

Conclusion:

This watercress and beet salad is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy fresh, seasonal produce. The combination of sweet beets, peppery watercress, and tangy vinaigrette is refreshing and satisfying. This salad is also very versatile and can be easily customized to suit your own tastes. So next time you're looking for a light and healthy lunch or dinner option, give this watercress and beet salad a try.

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