A simple and elegant roasted beet salad with toasted walnuts, tangy blue cheese, and peppery baby arugula. It’s a delicious way to start a special meal.

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts

It’s a bit of a tradition for us to cook a special dinner for New Year’s Eve before we go out as we both agree that ringing in the New Year at a restaurant ranks up there with other dining-out holidays (like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day) as one of the worst days of the year to eat out. Seriously, I hate the crowds, the frazzled wait staff, and the “special” New Year’s dishes that just seem so manufactured.

So now we dine at home and we’ve learned the key to a successful evening is to keep dinner simple – no one wants to destroy the kitchen, stuff themselves silly with a heavy meal, and then put on their party clothes and go out. Trust me, we made that mistake the first year and instead of clinking midnight glasses of bubbly at our favorite bar we ended up passing out in our stretchy pants in front of the TV.

So not sexy.

So now we keep it simple and stick to things like salad and steak – stuff that’s easy to make, but still elegant enough for a special evening. This year it’s all about roasted beets, toasted walnuts, tangy blue cheese, and peppery arugula for the salad – all simple stuff, but when it’s tossed together in a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil the result is a beautiful salad full of delicious flavors and textures. The only catch is that the beets need to be roasted in advance and here’s why: first, they’re best served chilled or at room temperature and, second, it will save you from staining your special holiday outfit – beets can be a little messy. So make them a few hours ahead or up to a week in advance – they will keep in the fridge so when it’s time to assemble the salad they’re all ready to go.

More Holiday Salads

Tomato & Pickled Beet Salad

Goat Cheese Salad with Roasted Beets

Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad