Roasted tri-color carrots and juicy beets served on a bed of peppery arugula topped with goat cheese and balsamic glaze. Aka: your next excuse to host a dinner party 😉

I absolutely love any roasted vegetable. It really brings their sweet, rich flavor profiles to life. Add a subtle char to the skins and you’re golden. As a dietitian, if I’m ever working with someone that typically doesn’t like vegetables or simply doesn’t know how to prepare them, this is always my first-line recommendation.

Set your oven to 400 degrees F, lightly coat your vegetables in coconut oil, throw them in the oven and let the oven do the work for you. I always turn the oven up to broil during the last few minutes of roasting to add that beautiful char to the skins.

Roasting beets, in particular, intensifies their flavor and brings out their earthy sweetness. They’re one of my favorite salad toppers!

Another great thing about this “salad” is you can enjoy it hot or cold. It makes the perfect snack or side dish. It also pairs well with just about any entrée – chicken, fish, red meat, pork, tofu — whatever tickles your fancy.

Speaking of pairing, If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you may notice I’m quite fond of pairing goat cheese with vegetables. I love the contrast of a soft, creamy cheese with crunchy, savory vegetables.

Then the balsamic comes in to add that extra kick, making it a complete ‘party in your mouth’ salad.

In addition to the great flavor combinations, this dish is also brimming with Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A), folate and other antioxidants. Between the fiber-rich vegetables and low-fat cheese, this dish is a low-glycemic, heart-healthy option the whole family can enjoy.

It’s simply fantastic. And just so pretty. Pretty food always wins.

Thyme Roasted Carrots and Beets with Balsamic and Goat Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6-7 large carrots, trimmed and scrubbed — tri-colored carrots found at Trader Joe’s
• 4 beets, scrubbed
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted) – sub for olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 ounce goat cheese
• 2 cups fresh arugula (optional)
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking or roasting pan with foil
2. Coat carrots in coconut oil and arrange evenly in pan. Be sure not to crowed carrots or they won’t brown.
3. Wrap the beets individually in foil.
4. Place the wrapped beets and pan of carrots in the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, depending on thickness of carrots. The ones I used were relatively thick in diameter and required the full 40 minutes. Thinner carrots may only need 35.
5. In the meantime, add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small sauce-pan and bring to a boil. Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to low and cook for ~20 minutes, until the liquid reduces to about half. Set aside.
6. Remove the carrots from the oven after 35-40 minutes. Let the beets roast for an additional 15 minutes. Beets are done when a fork or skewer slides easily to the middle of the beet. Let the vegetables cool enough to handle. Slice into bite-sized pieces, transfer to a medium-sized bowl and toss with fresh thyme.
7. Arrange arugula on a serving platter or in a bowl. Top with sliced carrots and beets. Crumble goat cheese on top. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the vegetables. Serve warm.