This easy appetizer combines the classic and incredibly delicious combination of beets, goat cheese, and hazelnuts. It’s a very loose recipe and easy to adapt!. Just toast some bread, smear on some tangy, creamy goat cheese, then top with sweet, vibrant beets and crunchy hazelnuts. Finish the with a drizzle of good oil, salt, and parsley for some greenery.
Ingredient Highlight
Beets! Are a really great source of folic acid, fiber, and potassium. The deep purple color comes from betacyanin, which, in combination with the fiber content, has shown to be protective against colon cancer.
Beets also contain nitrates that our bodies convert to nitric oxide, which has a blood dilating effect. This is why runners and endurance athletes love beets – they may increase our endurance!
Servings 10 toasts
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 1 hour Ingredients
- 1 baguette, sliced into rounds toasted*
- 1 (4 oz) log goat cheese
- 4 beets, cooked, peeled, and cut into small cubes
- ½ cup roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped**
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley chopped (optional)
- * To toast your bread in the oven, turn your broiler on high and place a rack in the highest position. Place your slices of bread on a baking sheet and broil for 1 minute or until light golden brown. Flip and repeat. Do not walk away from the oven!!
- ** I like to add the hazelnuts to a resealable bag and just smash them with a jar to crumble them up into small pieces.
- Note: the amount of cheese/toppings you’ll need depends on how big your baguette is. These measurements are just estimates, but if you’re feeding a crowd I would get extra goat cheese, etc…than the recipe calls for!
- Tip! Cook some extra beets (quarter and freeze) to use in next week’s smoothie.
Instructions
- Allow your toast to cool off for a few minutes. Spread each toast with goat cheese. Scatter beets over top and press into the cheese to stick. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Drizzle with your best olive oil, sprinkle each toast with some kosher or flaky salt, and finish it off with parsley (if using).
How-to roast beets:
- Rinse the beets, then trim any long pointy tops off. Wrap each in tinfoil (if your beets are small, you can wrap them all in one foil pack). Place them on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for about 50-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beet, or until a knife slides easily into the center. Let them cool enough to handle, then use your hands or a knife to remove the skin and trim off the root.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Slice a baguette into rounds and toast them
- Cook 4 beets, then peel and cut into small cubes
- Roast ½ cup hazelnuts, then finely chop (or smash!) them
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, use a vegan alternative cheese spread or use vegan cream cheese.
- Sub cream cheese or any spreadable cheese in place of goat cheese.
- To make gluten-free, turn these into little endive boats instead of toasts (see next bullet). This was my original idea, but I had trouble finding endives that were big enough!
- If using endives, slice root ends off of the endives. Separate larger leaves and arrange on a platter (the smaller inner leaves aren’t big enough to be filled and can be saved for a salad).
- If you’re not into beets, you could also use roasted winter squash, carrots, or sauteed mushrooms. Or just make it veggie free! Simply top the toast with goat cheese, hazelnut, herbs, salt, and drizzle of honey and olive oil over top. Get creative!
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s best to store the components separately and only make what you think you’ll eat.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- If you have leftover toasts that are already topped with everything, you can just let them sit out and come to room temperature or warm them in a dry skillet for 1 minute or two.
- Any extra beets are delicious added to smoothies, bowls, or salads.
