There are salads you make because something light is needed. And then there are salads like this Vegan Roasted Beets and Carrots Salad with Burrata — the kind that you arrange on a wide platter with jewel-toned roasted beets and caramelized carrots and pillowy vegan burrata and a handful of peppery greens and a drizzle of balsamic glaze and feel genuinely proud of before anyone has taken a single bite, because it is so visually spectacular that it looks like something from a restaurant menu and tastes every bit as good as it looks. This is that salad. The one that makes salad feel like the most exciting thing on the table.
This recipe roasts beets and carrots together until they are deeply caramelized and sweet and tender, then arranges them over a bed of peppery arugula with homemade vegan burrata — cashew-based, creamy, and entirely convincing — drizzled with a balsamic reduction, scattered with toasted walnuts and fresh herbs, and finished with a bright lemon-Dijon dressing that ties every element together into something that is simultaneously earthy, sweet, creamy, bitter, and bright. It is the kind of salad that works as a starter, a side dish, or the centerpiece of a light lunch, and impresses every time regardless of which role it plays.
What makes this recipe so outstanding is the vegan burrata — a homemade cashew and tofu blend that is molded, chilled, and served exactly like dairy burrata, pulling apart at the center to reveal a creamy, soft interior that is rich and mild and provides the cool, dairy-like contrast to the warm, caramelized vegetables that makes this salad so memorable.
This recipe is 100% vegan, naturally gluten-free, ready in about an hour, and one of those dishes that makes people rethink everything they assumed about what plant-based eating can look and taste like.
Recipe Information
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mins | 40 mins | 60 mins | 4 | ~380 kcal |
Ingredients
For the Roasted Vegetables
- 3 medium beets (about 450g), peeled and cut into wedges
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick diagonal slices
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and black pepper
For the Vegan Burrata
- 1 cup (140g) raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 1 hour and drained
- 150g silken tofu, drained
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
For the Lemon Dijon Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 100g baby arugula or mixed peppery greens
- ½ cup (50g) walnuts, toasted
- Handful fresh basil or mint leaves
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt to finish
Instructions
- Make the vegan burrata. Blend all burrata ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth and silky. Line a small bowl or ramekin with a double layer of cheesecloth or a clean thin cloth. Pour the burrata mixture into the cloth, gather the edges, twist tightly, and tie closed. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours — overnight is better — until it holds its shape when unmolded. This can and should be made a day ahead.
- Roast the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the beet wedges and carrot slices separately — beets will bleed and stain the carrots if tossed together — with the olive oil, maple syrup, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread on two separate lined baking sheets in a single layer, keeping the beets and carrots apart. Roast for 35–40 minutes, turning halfway, until both are deeply caramelized, tender, and slightly charred at the edges. Allow to cool to warm or room temperature before assembling.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
- Assemble the salad. Arrange the arugula across a wide, flat serving platter. Scatter the warm roasted beet wedges and carrot slices over the greens. Carefully unmold the vegan burrata from its cloth and place it in the center of the salad — or off to one side — pressing gently to flatten slightly so it looks like traditional burrata resting on the vegetables. Scatter the toasted walnuts and fresh basil or mint leaves over the platter. Drizzle the lemon Dijon dressing over everything. Finish with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze over the burrata and vegetables, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Serve immediately. This salad is best eaten straight after assembling while the vegetables are still warm and the contrast with the cool burrata is at its most pronounced.
Pro Tips
- Roast the beets and carrots separately — beet juice is intensely colored and will stain the carrots deep magenta if they are roasted together. Two separate trays takes no extra effort and keeps each vegetable its own beautiful color on the platter.
- Make the burrata a day ahead — it firms up and its flavor improves significantly after a full night in the refrigerator. Day-of burrata can be slightly too soft to unmold cleanly.
- Serve the vegetables warm, not hot — slightly warm roasted vegetables alongside cool, creamy burrata is the temperature contrast that makes this salad so memorable. If the vegetables are too hot they will melt the burrata; if they are cold the contrast is lost.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze just before serving — balsamic glaze can make greens wilt quickly if left to sit. Add it at the last moment for the best presentation.
Why Roasting Transforms Beets and Carrots
Both beets and carrots are root vegetables with high natural sugar content — significantly higher than most other vegetables. When roasted at high temperature, those sugars undergo caramelization and Maillard browning reactions that transform the vegetables from pleasantly sweet and earthy to deeply, intensely caramelized and complex. Beets become jammy and concentrated, their earthiness balanced by a sweetness that tastes almost like reduced fruit; carrots become nutty and caramelized at the edges, their natural sugars concentrated to a richness that raw carrots cannot approach. This transformation is why roasted root vegetables taste so dramatically different from steamed or boiled ones — the high heat is doing chemical work that low-heat cooking simply cannot.
Flavor Variations
- Roasted Beet Salad with Orange and Pistachio: Replace the walnuts with toasted pistachios and add segments of fresh navel orange for a brighter, more vibrant variation.
- Spiced Roasted Root Salad: Add a teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of cinnamon to the vegetable roasting spices and top with a harissa-spiked dressing for a Moroccan-inspired version.
- Roasted Beet and Carrot Grain Salad: Serve the roasted vegetables and burrata over a base of cooked farro or quinoa for a more substantial main course salad.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Serving)
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fiber | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~380 kcal | 10g | 32g | 7g | 25g |
Storage
- The roasted vegetables keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and are excellent served cold or rewarmed in a hot oven for 8 minutes.
- The vegan burrata keeps refrigerated in its cloth for up to 3 days — unmold just before serving.
- The dressing keeps in a sealed jar for up to 1 week — shake well before using.
- Do not store the assembled salad — once dressed, the greens wilt quickly. Assemble individual portions to order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use store-bought vegan cheese instead of homemade burrata?
Yes — a good vegan cream cheese or vegan ricotta can be used in place of the homemade burrata for a quicker version. The presentation will be different but the flavor combination works just as well.
Can I use pre-cooked beets?
Yes — vacuum-packed cooked beets (not pickled) can be used as a shortcut. Cut into wedges and roast for just 15–20 minutes with the oil and maple syrup to caramelize them, since they are already cooked.
What greens work best if I don’t have arugula?
Watercress and baby spinach both work well — watercress for more peppery bitterness, spinach for a milder, softer base. Radicchio torn into pieces adds beautiful color and pleasant bitterness.
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