There is beauty in simplicity. And where there is beauty, there are beets.
These ruby-red roots don’t need to rely on too many other ingredients to make a stellar dish with an impactful presentation.
Such can be said for this simple and easy salad!
As long as the beets are cooked to perfection, there’s nothing a basic vinaigrette, a little red onion, and a couple handfuls of fresh herbs can’t accomplish when deftly combined together.
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Some time management is required to make this recipe, which should be served cold – the vegetables need to be thoroughly chilled after cooking before you add them with the other ingredients.
For stress-free prepping, divide the work between two days.
The day or night before you’re planning on serving the salad, when you’re chilling at home with a glass of wine or NA beer, cook, peel, and cube the roots.
While you can choose your own preferred method for cooking them, I enjoy roasting them whole, as opposed to steaming or boiling them. It’s an easy cooking technique that yields tender, buttery roots with rich, concentrated sweetness.
You can follow all of our step-by-step advice in our recipe for roasted whole beets, but here’s the biggest takeaway:
When they are still warm from the oven, this is the best time to peel the skin! It easily and readily can be removed with just a few wipes and rubs by hand, and you won’t need a vegetable peeler.
After that, swiftly cube the roots and store them in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat the next day, the bulk of your prep work is already done!
All that’s left to do is to gather the dill and parsley, chop the onion, whisk the vinaigrette, and toss everything together.
The result? A refreshing and herbaceous salad with subtle acidity, a tantalizing tang, and a sweet, yet balanced, richness that’s almost beyond belief.
It’s a beauty to behold – until you’re ready to eat!
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Simple Beet Salad with Fresh Herbs
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 small servings 1x
Description
Let the sweet richness and tender, buttery texture of cooked beets shine in this salad with fresh herbs, red onion, and a quick vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds whole beets (about 4 medium or 2 large), roasted, peeled, and chilled
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup gently torn fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup gently torn fresh dill
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Slice the beets into small cubes. Place the beets, red onion, parsley, and dill in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper until thickened slightly, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the beet mixture. Gently toss everything together until completely combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve cold.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Vegetable
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Salad
Keywords: beet, salad, herbs
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep
If you haven’t done so already, prepare, cook, and chill your beets according to your preferred method. We suggest roasting them, but you can steam or boil them.
But make sure you first thoroughly wash and scrub them in order to remove any dirt and debris – these root veggies can be quite dirty!
If you need a semi-homemade shortcut, consider stocking up on pre-cooked and pre-peeled beets. You can purchase Gefen’s Organic Ready-to-Eat Red Whole Beets from Amazon.
Gefen’s Organic Ready-to-Eat Red Whole Beets
Because they are vacuum sealed, the bags can be stored unopened in a cool, dry place like your pantry. I recommend transferring them to your fridge a day before you decide to prepare this recipe in order to chill them.
Once your roots are prepped, continue with the other ingredients.
Measure out the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. We prefer to freshly crack our pepper.
Finely dice the red onion – if you need a refresher on how to prep it, review our article on how to prep an onion. And don’t forget to read our top five tips on preventing those onion-cutting tears from streaming down your face!
Gently tear apart the fresh parsley and dill leaves with your fingers – we love the organic, natural look of larger pieces of leaves, but you can finely chop them if you prefer.
Place the prepared beets, onion, and herbs in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2 – Make Vinaigrette
Place the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Vigorously whisk together the ingredients until a homogenous, slightly thickened vinaigrette forms. This will take roughly 30 seconds. The mixture should be smooth, and should be pale yellow in color.
Step 3 – Toss Ingredients Together
Pour the vinaigrette over the ingredients in the large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape out any remaining vinaigrette so you don’t waste all that delicious goodness!
Using a spatula or large mixing spoon, gently toss the ingredients together, ensuring the vinaigrette thoroughly covers everything and the herbs and diced onion are evenly distributed.
Step 4 – Serve Immediately
Serve the salad immediately.
Not ready just yet? No worries! You can also transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This is a perfect make-ahead option, as the flavors continue to develop the more it marinates. Serve it cold.
Simple Serving Suggestions
Vibrant and versatile, make the most of this tasty salad when you’re planning a meal for lunch or dinner.
For a light lunch you can pack and take with you or assemble when you’re working from home, place a few scoopfuls on a bed of arugula or baby greens.
For a boost of protein, serve it topped with slices of a hard-boiled egg, or crumbled feta or goat cheese.
We also like adding a crunchy component, like toasted and seasoned pumpkin seeds or a savory granola with a fun mix of spices.
The salad is simple perfection when served as a starter or as a side dish alongside a main course for your evening meal. I particularly like it with an elegant roasted chicken, or a Hasselback herbed pork tenderloin.
Do you have any fun suggestions for serving? What’s your preferred way to cook beets? Do you like to roast them like we do, or are you partial to steaming or boiling? Let us know in the comment section below.
We’re rooting for you, roots! Bring on the beets with more homemade recipes. Feast on these bulbous beauties in many more ways, starting with a trio of our favorites:
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
