In a medium bowl, soak the cashews in very hot water for 20-30 minutes, or overnight in cool water. Then drain, rinse, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Trim the greens, tops, and stems from the beets. Wash and wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil (see notes for an alternative to foil).
Place the wrapped beets on a baking sheet and bake until beets can be easily pierced with a knife — 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size. Remove beets from the oven, carefully open the foil packages to allow the steam to escape, and leave to cool for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the vegan goat cheese. To a food processor, add cashews, lemon juice, water, coconut oil, sea salt, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard and blend for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed until the cheese is as smooth as possible. You may need to add up to 1 Tbsp more water, but try to avoid it if possible.
Taste and adjust as needed, adding more lemon for acidity, salt for saltiness, or Dijon mustard for more punch. It should be quite salty and tangy to balance out the sweet beets.
Transfer the vegan goat cheese to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will help the cheese firm up a bit and the flavors to develop further. (Note: Cheese can be made several days in advance!)
Once the beets are cool enough to handle, use your fingers or a paper towel to remove the skin. It should slide off easily. Slice the beets into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Place the beets into a bowl to chill for at least 30 minutes.
While everything is chilling, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Set aside.
To serve, place beets onto a serving dish, sprinkle microgreens on them, and spoon dollops of goat cheese mixture on and around the beets (you won’t need all of it — we used about half). Top with nuts (optional) and finish with a drizzle of dressing just before serving.
Components are best stored separately. Vegan goat cheese, roasted beets, and dressing will all keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Leftover “goat cheese” can be frozen for up to 1 month or used in frittatas or on sandwiches, salads, vegan “charcuterie” boards, or sliced apples or pears.
Notes
*If you want a store-bought alternative for the vegan “goat cheese,” we recommend Treeline dairy-free goat cheese or Follow Your Heart dairy-free feta crumbles. *To avoid using aluminum foil to cook the beets, you can place whole beets in an oven-safe baking dish. Place about 1 inch of water into the pan, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or another baking sheet. *Prep time includes cooling the beets after roasting and after slicing. It also assumes you’re soaking the cashews while the beets are cooking and making the “cheese” and dressing while the beets are cooling. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with half of the vegan goat cheese (the recipe makes extra!) and without optional ingredients.