Layers of red and golden beets with creamy chèvre make up this elegant Beet Terrine With Herbed Goat Cheese. It’s easy to make and can be sliced and served with bread, crackers, salad, or on its own.

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A slice of red and yellow beet terrine on top of arugula

Add some color to your holiday hors d’oeuvres! This bright and beautiful Beet Terrine With Herbed Goat Cheese is the perfect addition to your holiday spread, next to a winter charcuterie, or to enjoy as an appetizer. The layers of red and yellow beets and herbed goat cheese is not only beautiful to look at but a treat for your taste buds!

You can make this goat cheese terrine easily with a little cook time and some assembly tips. The beets are first cooked on the stove or in the Instant Pot, sliced, and layered into a loaf pan with the goat cheese spread. As it sits in the fridge for a few hours, the flavors mingle and the colors spread, creating bright jewel tones.

overhead view of a yellow beet terrine on a black serving plate

Slice and serve the layers of beets and goat cheese on a platter with fresh bread, greens, and olive oil. It’s a bright and refreshing starter you can make ahead of time for the holidays or dinner parties.

Slices of red and yellow beet terrine on top of arugula on a grey serving plate

What is a terrine?

This vegetable terrine is quite different from the traditional recipe. Similar to pâté, terrine is usually a loaf of meats, herbs and seasonings, eggs, or vegetables packed or layered into a loaf mold. It’s cooked in a water bath and then sliced for serving.

Because my recipe is made with fresh beets, there is no water bath involved. All you need to do is cook the beets. Once the beets and cheese are layered in a loaf pan, the terrine will be wrapped, weighted, and chilled in the fridge.

What is the difference between pâté and terrine?

Pâté is a paste that is typically made mostly from liver. It has a smooth and fine texture and is perfect for spreading on bread or crackers. Terrine, on the other hand, has a thick texture as it’s made from a variety of meats, eggs, or even vegetables. Slice your terrine and serve it on its own as an appetizer or added to bread or salad.

Red and yellow beets in a large bowl with goat cheese, green onions, garlic, and salt in bowls on the side

Ingredients you need for beet terrine

This vegetable-forward terrine is healthy, flavorful, and easy to make. All you need are a handful of fresh ingredients.

This is what you need:

Red and golden beets
Goat cheese or chèvre
Garlic
Green onion
Salt

Sliced yellow and red beets in separate white bowls with herbed goat cheese in a bowl on the side

How to cook beets in an Instant Pot

Save time and start this recipe by cooking the beets in an Instant Pot. It’s so easy! Here’s how it’s done:

Cook the beets: Place a trivet and water into the Instant Pot before adding in the cleaned beets. Secure the lid and set the cooking time to align with the size of your beets (see the notes in the recipe card for cook times). Once they’re done cooking, do a quick release.

Stove top instructions

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, just cook the beets on the stove! It’s as simple as boiling any other vegetable:

Boil the beets: Fill a large pot with water, add in the cleaned beets, and bring it to a boil. The beets are done cooking when you can pierce them with a knife.
Rinse: Rinse the cooked beets under cold water so they’re cool enough to peel.

4 images showing the process of making a beet and goat cheese terrine

How to assemble a beet terrine

Last but not least, the terrine needs to be put together! This is a simple process of layering beets and herbed goat cheese on top of each other until you run out of the two. Here’s how it’s done:

Season the goat cheese: Stir the goat cheese, garlic, and green onion together in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt as needed.
Prepare the beets: If you haven’t yet peeled the cooked beets, use a paper towel to remove the skin. Slice them into ¼ inch thick slices (or thinner if you prefer).
Prepare the pan: Line your loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure to have enough overhang to wrap the top of the terrine once it’s put together.
Layer and assemble: Start with a layer of red beets on the bottom, making sure the slices overlap. Spread on a thin layer of the seasoned goat cheese. Repeat this until you run out of red beets, then repeat the same process with the golden beets. The last layer, or the top, should be finished with beets.
Wrap it and refrigerate: Place the overhang of plastic over the top of the terrine. Place something heavy on top, like a carton of milk, to weigh it down. Place it in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight if you have the time.

2 white plates each with a slice of beet terrine on top of green arugula

How to serve terrine

Let the terrine sit at room temperature for a few minutes after it comes out of the fridge. You can serve the terrine on a platter and slice it into half-inch slices. Have some bread and fresh arugula around the terrine on the platter, and drizzle everything with some olive oil and a sprinkle of finishing salt on each slice.

If you have leftovers, add a few slices of beet and goat cheese terrine in a citrus salad, on toast, or on its own with more oil for a quick snack.

Tips and recipe variations

Beets love to stain! Wear gloves to keep your hands from being stained.
Want to speed up the slicing time? Use a mandolin to slice the beets instead of a knife.
The Instant Pot cook time will vary depending on the size of your beets. Cook 10 minutes for small beets, 15 minutes for medium, and 20 minutes for large.
Not a fan of goat cheese? Replace it with herbed Boursin cheese and leave out the salt and green onions.
Would you rather roast the beets? Wrap the washed beets in foil and roast in a 400ºF oven for 45 minutes or until they’re fork tender. Leave them to cool, then peel and slice.
Do you need to store leftovers? Just store the leftover beet terrine wrapped in the loaf pan and in the fridge. It should stay fresh and hold its texture for 3 to 4 days.

More appetizer recipes

Serve these delicious and colorful appetizers to your party guests or before a dinner:

If you try this Beet Terrine With Herbed Goat Cheese let me know what you think! Rate and review this recipe in the comments below. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog!