Raw Golden Beet Salad

Raw Beet Salad

When people think of beets, they think pickled or cooked beets at least that is what comes to my mind, but like carrots, beets can be eaten raw and this raw beet salad is delicious!

Not only are raw beets packed with nutrition, they are crunchy and sweet too! So sweet, in fact, that they will need a strongly acidic dressing for balance like the one in the recipe that follows.

I will include some variations that you can make to this scrumptious salad also. If you’re anything like me and never seem to grab all the ingredients even when you shop for a specific recipe then this is a wonderfully easy salad. The great thing about this salad is that it has very basic items that we normally have around the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to throw in things that you enjoy as substitutes.

The cabbage beet and orange is one of my favorite versions of this salad and that can be made with a variety of different cabbages and if you don’t have an orange you can substitute a kiwi or clementines – you know, just have fun with it!

Raw Golden Beet Salad

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy salad

Servings 4

Equipment

Spiral slicer or grater
Bowl

Ingredients

1 to 11/2 pounds beets (golden or red) preferably small
½ red onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry or other good strong vinegar
1 sprig fresh tarragon minced, if available
¼ cup chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

Peel the beets and onion. Use a grater or spiral slicer and grate/slice onion and beets then combine. (You can use a food processor but take care not to break the food down to mush.) Scrape into a bowl.
Toss with the salt, pepper, mustard, oil and vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Toss in the herbs and serve.

This salad is great with any favorite summer BBQ foods. It is so quick and easy and can be made up the day or night before. The best thing about this salad is its crunchiness!

Beet Salad Variations

Below are a few variations so enjoy !

Raw Beet Salad with Carrot and Ginger: Beets and ginger are killer together: Use equal parts beet and carrot. Shred the beets and carrots or be fancy with a spiral slicer, add a tablespoon of peeled, minced ginger to the mix; omit the tarragon. Substitute peanut for olive oil, lime juice for the vinegar, and cilantro for parsley. this makes a great Cinco De Mayo dish!!!

Raw Beet Cabbage & Orange Salad: This is a beautiful looking salad. Use equal parts beet and cabbage, depending on the servings that you need. Shred beets and onion (you can substitute a shallot) as directed; shred the cabbage by hand or you can get the food processor out again. Honestly sometimes I think the food processor adds time to the recipe I mean cabbage is fairly easily shred with a knife. Peal an orange and chop roughly, retain the juice and add to the dressing above.

Yogurt Dressing For Your Raw Beet Salad: Very Creamy and makes it a mellow side dish and nice to pair with spicy foods: Replace the olive oil and one of the tablespoons of vinegar with 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, preferably whole-milk. The Greek yogurts are super for this!

You really don’t need special kitchen tools for this but I have recently acquired a spiral slicer and boy does it make it fun! Food processors are loud and require power this little slicer is easy to clean and a blast to use because of the cool textures you get with it. Incorporating more raw foods into your diet doesn’t have to be boring that is for sure!