Healthy Recipes Main Dish Sandwich Pickled Beet, Arugula & Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwich 4.7 (10) 8 Reviews This pickled beet, arugula and goat cheese sandwich is peppery with creamy notes from the goat cheese and sweet and tangy undertones from the pickled beets. Chopped walnuts add nuttiness and crunch to this easy sandwich. By Carolyn Casner Carolyn Casner Carolyn Casner is a longtime recipe tester and contributor for EatingWell. Over the years, she has tested and developed hundreds of recipes for the magazine and website. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 15, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Sarah Pflugradt, Ph.D., RDN, CSCS Reviewed by Dietitian Sarah Pflugradt, Ph.D., RDN, CSCS Sarah Pflugradt is a registered dietitian who holds a Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Her extensive background in dietetics has made her a sought-after expert in family and youth sports nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 1 Nutrition Profile: Soy-Free Vegetarian High-Protein Egg-Free Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Our Pickled Beet, Arugula & Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwich hits all the flavor and texture notes for a delectable sandwich. Briny, heart-healthy beets and peppery arugula are the bulk of this sandwich, but it's the small flavor additions that are the stars of the show. Tangy goat cheese is mixed with chives, dill and extra-virgin olive oil to make the scrumptious creamy spread that envelopes every bite. We added omega-3-rich walnuts to each side for crunch and used hearty, toasted whole wheat bread for extra fiber to fill you up. Be prepared to want this every day of the week! Keep reading for our expert tips, including what to substitute if you don't have all of the ingredients on hand. Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! We enjoy using nutritious whole-wheat bread for our sandwiches, but you could also use sprouted grain bread or sourdough.If you want to avoid beet-stained fingertips, wearing rubber gloves is a good idea. If that's not an option, you can try gently scrubbing your purple hands with a paste made from baking soda and water.By swapping out a few ingredients, you can create numerous variations of this sandwich. Try replacing baby spinach with arugula or watercress, use pecans, almonds or seeds instead of walnuts, and substitute cream cheese, feta or brie for the goat cheese.This sandwich makes excellent tea sandwiches for an outdoor party, and securing the filling with a decorative toothpick adds a nice touch. Nutrition Notes Pickled beets are brined in a pickling liquid. This retains their earthy flavor and nutrition but adds salt—which is essential to note if you are on a low-sodium diet for your health. Beets, however, are a naturally heart-healthy food. They contain nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide in your body and this helps to open your blood vessels, great for lowering blood pressure. Arugula is the bright, peppery green for this sandwich because it can hold up to the beets and goat cheese. Arugula is in the cruciferous vegetable family, and that means it has special antioxidants that can help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer. Walnuts are a nutritious addition to this sandwich. They provide great texture and crunch, but also protein and fiber to help keep you full—that's important when you're not adding other proteins to your sandwich. Walnuts also have plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, called alpha-linolenic acid, which can help reduce inflammation in the body and are beneficial for brain health. Jacob Fox Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 ounces goat cheese, softened 1 tablespoon snipped chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of salt Ground pepper to taste 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, toasted 2 ounces sliced pickled beets 1 cup arugula Directions Mash 2 ounces goat cheese, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon dill, 1 teaspoon oil, pinch salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Spread the goat cheese mixture on one side of each toast slice. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon walnuts over 1 slice then layer on 2 ounces beets and 1 cup arugula. Top with the second slice of toast, cheese-side down, and cut the sandwich in half. Jacob Fox Frequently Asked Questions What else can I do with pickled beets? Pickled beets make an excellent condiment for grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. They can also be added to tomato and lettuce salads, potato salads or a summer or winter charcuterie board. What's the best way to toast walnuts? You can buy toasted walnuts, but it's easy to toast them yourself. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, in the refrigerator for 1 month, or in the freezer for 3 months. To toast the walnuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and heat them in an oven at 350°F. Bake until they smell nutty and turn slightly brown, but be careful to remove them promptly, as they can burn quickly. Allow the walnuts to cool completely before storing them. What should I serve with Pickled Beet, Arugula & Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwich? This sandwich would pair well with a cup of soup, a small salad or coleslaw, as well as raw veggies cut into matchsticks. Some recipes to consider: Easy Tomato Gazpacho or Herby White Gazpacho, Jessica's Coleslaw or Simple Green Salad with Citronette. EatingWell.com, August 2022 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 414 Calories 24g Fat 32g Carbs 18g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 1 Serving Size 1 sandwich Calories 414 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 32g 12% Dietary Fiber 6g 21% Total Sugars 10g Added Sugars 0g 0% Protein 18g 36% Total Fat 24g 31% Saturated Fat 10g 50% Cholesterol 26mg 9% Vitamin A 1351IU 27% Vitamin C 7mg 8% Vitamin D 9IU 2% Vitamin E 1mg 4% Folate 56mcg 14% Vitamin K 34mcg 28% Sodium 842mg 37% Calcium 176mg 14% Iron 3mg 17% Magnesium 42mg 10% Potassium 216mg 5% Zinc 1mg 9% Omega 3 1g Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs. Additional reporting by Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines