There is a restaurant in town called The Crossing that was recently featured in a local magazine. In the article several dishes were shown, including a beautiful Roasted Beet Salad presented as a tall, stacked tower. After seeing that photograph I decided to recreate the concept at home, keeping the flavors fresh and simple while reproducing the dramatic presentation.
The first practical challenge was finding a cylindrical mold to shape the tower. If you don’t own a food ring, a cleaned soup can with both ends removed can work—just be careful of sharp edges. Another option is a short section of PVC pipe cut to food-safe length and thoroughly cleaned; these come in various diameters so you can pick the size that fits your plate. A round cookie cutter or a small metal biscuit cutter can also serve as a mold.
On my first attempt I discovered why restaurant plating can look deceptively easy: the tower collapsed when I tried to lift the mold. I called the restaurant and spoke with the chef, who offered two helpful tips. First, allow the goat cheese to soften to room temperature so it becomes slightly spreadable and acts like a binder between layers. Second, press each layer down gently as you build so the ingredients compact and support one another. The chef also recommended dressing the beets lightly in vinaigrette ahead of assembly so they have flavor without adding excess liquid during construction.
In the restaurant recipe the chef combines mascarpone with goat cheese for an extra creamy layer. I chose to use only goat cheese, which gives a tangy contrast to the sweet roasted beets, but mascarpone or a blend of both would add a richer, silkier texture if you prefer that profile.
On my second try the tower held together beautifully, producing a clean, vertical stack. The only imperfection was a small ring of beet juice around the base. I resisted wiping it away to avoid risking the structure, but next time I’ll be bolder about cleaning the plate before serving. Even with that minor detail, the assembled salad tasted wonderful: the sweet earthiness of the beets, the creamy goat cheese, the brightness of citrus on the avocado, and the crunchy pistachio garnish all complemented one another.
This preparation is elegant enough for entertaining yet straightforward for a weeknight when you want something special. The method scales easily: make multiple towers on a sheet pan and unmold them onto individual plates when you’re ready to serve. If roasting beets yourself, you can roast a whole batch in one go and use them across several salads.
I hope you’ll try this Towering Roasted Beet Salad at home. I’m planning to visit The Crossing later this month to taste their version and compare notes.
Towering Roasted Beet Salad
Yield: 1 Beet Tower
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour if roasting beets
Total Time: 20 minutes – 1 hour and 20 minutes if roasting beets
Ingredients:
- 2 roasted beets, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, lightly tossed in vinaigrette (or one package peeled, cooked beets), cooled
- 1/2 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and tossed with juice of lime or lemon to prevent browning
- juice of 1 lime or lemon
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, brought to room temperature so it is slightly spreadable
- Micro-greens or baby greens for garnish
- Pistachios, lightly crushed, for texture and garnish
- Pomegranate vinaigrette or your favorite dressing, used sparingly
- Tall cylindrical ring or tube for molding (food ring, cleaned can, or cut PVC pipe)
- A jar or container with its bottom covered in plastic wrap to help push the filled tower out of the mold cleanly
Directions:
- Place a salad plate on your work surface and set the cylindrical ring in the center. If using a ring or can, line the inside with plastic wrap if desired for an even cleaner release.
- Layer the ingredients in this order, gently pressing each layer down so the tower compacts: a layer of cubed roasted beets (lightly dressed), half of the goat cheese, the cubed avocado that has been tossed with lime or lemon juice, the remaining goat cheese, and a final layer of cubed roasted beets.
- After all layers are in place, press down lightly with your fingertips to firm the assembly. Cover the top with the plastic-wrapped jar or container and, holding it steady, slowly lift the cylindrical ring straight up. The tower should remain standing on the plate.
- Garnish the top with micro-greens, sprinkle crushed pistachios around or over the top, and finish with a light drizzle of pomegranate vinaigrette or dressing of choice around the base. Keep the dressing minimal so it does not make the layers slide.
Enjoy!
Note: If making several towers, place the filled rings on a sheet pan and unmold each tower onto individual plates when ready to serve. If roasting beets for multiple salads, roast them together and divide before assembling towers. Adjust quantities to suit the number of servings and personal taste—use more or less goat cheese, avocado, or dressing as desired.