The Perfect Beet Salad (Easy Ukrainian Red Beet Salad)

This is seriously the best Beet Salad, giving you a beautifully vibrant mix of nutritious veggies such as beets, potatoes, carrots, and onions for an unforgettable combination of flavors!

And not only does it look beautiful, but it tastes incredible too! The simple yet bold flavors go perfectly well with almost all types of dinner meals, which makes this beet salad recipe the perfect side dish to try.

The colors in this recipe make it an ideal salad to make for the holidays to serve with any and all dishes you’re planning on serving. Plus, this is a classic Ukrainian beet salad and so the ingredients are simple and delicious, and truly one of a kind.

Want to learn how to make this beet salad? Then keep on reading!

What is a Beet Salad?

Beet salad is the perfect way to use any beets you may have at home! It’s a delicious salad that showcases cooked beets along with other veggies such as carrots, onions, and potatoes.

Beets are packed with nutrients and are a great source of fiber, manganese, potassium, iron, and even vitamin C. Not only does it improve blood flow, but also lowers blood pressure and improves exercise performance.

Combine these benefits with the delicious flavor of the salad, and you have a total winner that beats all other salads in terms of flavor and health benefits! So try this beet salad recipe today and you’re going to fall in love with it!

What Makes This Beet Salad Recipe Special?

This Ukrainian Beet Salad is very special to me. It brings back those sweet childhood memories of when my mom used to make it for her family on holidays.

She loved making everything surrounding the holidays extra special for the kids and it's small things like these that resurface sweet memories. It was really special, thinking back.

The best time for making this particular salad was usually in the fall or wintertime after harvesting the garden fields for some red beets.

Back in Ukraine, my parents grew very large fields of produce as a means to provide for the large family. Not only beets, but most of the ingredients that go into this salad like carrots, potato, onion, and pickled cucumbers were home-grown. Back then it was the way of the land.

Nowadays, you have the option of all these ingredients being instantly available at any grocery store allowing you to make this salad any time you wish. While still very delicious, it still doesn’t quite have the same sentimental value.

I consider this salad one of the healthiest ones out there. It consists of organic vegetables, including red beets which are very good for you. I usually make this salad about a day ahead, because it tastes best after all the vegetables have soaked in the flavors.

There are many different varieties of this salad. Some people add peas or beans. We like the simple original version we had in childhood.

As for the dressing, a little plain oil does the job. I used sunflower and vegetable oils in the past, but avocado oil is the best-tasting and healthiest, in my opinion. It’s a great-tasting, healthy salad that also looks very festive.

Give it a try and you'll know what I mean!

How to Cook Beets for Salad

Cooking beets is incredibly easy, but for those who haven’t tried it before it may seem a little confusing. So here are the top two ways of cooking beets for the best beet salad ever:

Boil on Stovetop

One of the most common ways to cook beets for a beet salad is to boil them whole or into quarters. I like chopping them into fours before boiling them to speed up the process. Boil them until they turn fork tender. Drain the water and then peel them.

This is the way I’ve done it in the recipe, but this isn’t the only way to do it! Here’s another way you can try:

Roast in Oven

The other way to cook beets is to roast them in the oven. You can bake them whole by wrapping each of them in aluminum foil and roasting them in the oven for 45-60 minutes depending on the size. Once they turn tender, unwrap and remove the peels from the roasted beets.

Alternatively, if you have a steamer you can also use that but I’ve mentioned the two most common ways to cook it here.

What You Need to Make Beet Salad at Home

Making this delicious salad at home requires the simplest ingredients ever. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Salad:

• Beet: First of all, of course, we’ll need some red beets! They’re not only delicious and the star ingredient of this recipe, but they’re also packed with nutrients making this salad incredibly healthy.
• Potatoes: You’ll also need some potatoes to add flavor and make it filling. We’ll be using some yellow potatoes which are low to medium-starch potatoes and work really well in this recipe.
• Carrots: For some extra crunch and texture, we’ll also be using some delicious carrots.
• Onions: Add some yellow onions to the salad as well as they add a delicious sharp yet sweet flavor to the salad.
• Pickles: We’ll also add some homemade pickles that elevate the flavor to the next level and really bring everything together. Check out my recipe for the most delicious pickles you’ve ever had!

For the Salad Dressing:

• Avocado oil: For our salad dressing, we’ll be using some avocado oil! You can also use sunflower oil, olive oil, or even vegetable oil but avocado oil is not only the healthiest but also the best tasting so I highly recommend going it this!
• Seasonings: You’ll also need some black pepper and salt to season the salad to taste. It’ll really help bring all the flavors out.

How to Make Beet Salad (Step-by-Step)

Making this delicious salad is really simple and easy. Here’s how to do it step-by-step along with some pictures as well:

Let’s prep our potatoes and carrots first. Trim off stems, wash and place the potatoes and carrots into a small pot.

Cover with water and add 1 tbsp. and boil for 25 minutes. Drain and let them cool before peeling and dicing.

Now follow the same cooking instructions for beets as well. I’ve cut each beet into 4 pieces to speed up the cooking process. The reason why we don’t boil beets with the other veggies is that beets release color and will stain all your other veggies too.

Alternatively, you can also roast beets in the oven. Cover each whole beet with aluminum foil and roast them on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes at 400 F. The time depends on the size, so make sure they are fork-tender before getting them out.

After the cooked vegetables have cooled down, peel the skin and dice the veggies. Then place all the diced vegetables into one large bowl.

After cooked vegetables are cooled, peel the skin, dice vegetables, and then place all diced vegetables into one large bowl. Here, I’ve placed all diced vegetables into different bowls temporarily for better visibility.

Next, mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle salt, and pepper and add avocado oil. Mix very carefully again otherwise, the boiled vegetables will lose their shape and the potatoes can become mashed.

Next, mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle salt, and pepper and add avocado oil. Mix very carefully again otherwise, the boiled vegetables will lose their shape and the potatoes can become mashed.

Recipe Variation Ideas for Beet Salad

This delicious salad features classic flavors that you’re going to absolutely love! But in case you’re looking to add your personal touch to it, here are some ideas of what works really well with beets:

Cheese: If you love cheese, you can add some crumbled cheese on top. Cheese that naturally works well with the flavors in the salad includes goat cheese and feta cheese.

Veggies and herbs: You can experiment and add whichever veggies and herbs you love most. Arugula and baby spinach work great with this salad. You can also add fresh mint and parsley for herbs. Instead of yellow onions, feel free to use shallots or red onions.

Balsamic vinaigrette: For an extra tang without overpowering the flavors of the beet, drizzle some balsamic vinegar into your salad. You can also whisk in some honey or maple syrup for extra sweetness.

Dried fruits and nuts: Want to add an extra layer of crunch to the salad? Then try adding some chopped walnuts to it! You can also add some dried cranberries on top for a festive feel.

How to Store Leftover Beet Salad

You can store this delicious salad in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I don’t recommend freezing it though since the texture will change quite a bit and the flavor won’t be the same.

Note: the salad will become solid red color (see the old picture below) as beets release juice and the rest vegetables will absorb their red color.

More Similar Recipes You'll Love

• Ukrainian Potato Salad "Olivie"
• Sunflower Salad Recipe
• Tossed Cucumber Salad
• Crab Salad

Recipe Card

The Perfect Beet Salad (Easy Ukrainian Red Beet Salad)

Valya's Taste of Home

This Beet Salad is the most perfect recipe, with festive colors and flavors that are perfect for fall and winter. You're sure to love this Ukrainian favorite!

4.27 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 14

Ingredients

  

.5x1x2x3x

Vinaigrette Salad with Avocado Oil Dressing Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 lbs. – organic potatoes (I use yellow potatoes)
• ▢ 1 lb. – organic carrots
• ▢ 2 lbs. – organic red beets
• ▢ 1 small – onion (I use homegrown yellow onion)
• ▢ 8 oz. pickles (I use 2 large home-canned pickles)

Vinaigrette Salad Dressing and Seasoning Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup – Avocado or Olive oil
• ▢ ½ tsp. – black ground pepper or to taste
• ▢ 1 tbsp. – sea salt or to taste (plus 1 tbsp. for cooking beets and 1 tbsp. for cooking potatoes with carrots)

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Instructions

 

How to Make Beet Salad

• ▢
  Let’s prep our potatoes and carrots first. Trim off stems, wash and place the potatoes and carrots into a small pot.
• ▢
  Cover with water and add 1 tbsp. and boil for 25 minutes. Drain and let them cool before peeling and dicing.
• ▢
  Now follow the same cooking instructions for beets as well. I’ve cut each beet into 4 pieces to speed up the cooking process. The reason why we don’t boil beets with the other veggies is that beets release color and will stain all your other veggies too.
• ▢
  Alternatively, you can also roast beets in the oven. Cover each whole beet with aluminum foil and roast them on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes at 400 F. The time depends on the size, so make sure they are fork-tender before getting them out.
• ▢
  After the cooked vegetables have cooled down, peel the skin and dice the veggies. Then place all the diced vegetables into one large bowl.
• ▢
  Next, mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle salt, and pepper and add avocado oil. Mix very carefully again otherwise, the boiled vegetables will lose their shape and the potatoes can become mashed.
• ▢
  Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight for the best-tasting result. Mix the salad before serving. Your delicious Beet Salad is ready to be served!

Notes

You may also bake beets in the oven. Cover each whole beet with aluminum foil and bake at 400 F (200 C) for 45-60 minutes depends on the size.

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This recipe was originally posted on October 25, 2016 (original picture below), and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.