Vibrant, juicy and healthy Ukrainian Style Cold Beet Salad With Greek Yogurt Dressing is a real thing. Ridiculously easy to make and worths to be added to a regular dinner menu as well special occasions. You'll love the flavors in this one.
Red Beet Salad
If you know Ukrainians or Russians, then you should be aware that we're obsessed with beets. This is one of those ingredients that is a staple in a pantry and so many delicious recipes come together thanks to this yummy root vegetable.
Red Beet Or Beetroot Salad is a type of salad that takes literally no effort to make.
In Ukraine, practically every person who has a garden, grows beets. I grew up in such household so we always had an abundance of beautiful beets waiting to be incorporated in a delicious recipe.
Aside from my favorite Borscht, one recipe that my mom or grandma used to make regularly was Beet Salad. It's a very traditional for Ukrainian and Russian cuisines. Very easy to make and everyone has a spin on it.
What makes this salad special?
With all my appreciation for beets, I realize not everyone finds them delicious.
But I've got good news for you!
My light and tangy Greek Yogurt dressing adds a necessary creaminess and conceals the slight bitterness of the beets yet highlighting their natural sweetness.
The salad is really good and there's a chance that after trying it, you might even become an avid fan of beets.
How To Cook Beets For Salad?
There are 3 methods to cook beets. Pick whichever method works for you best.
- Boiling. Place cleaned beets in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Cook on a medium heat for 50-60 minutes. Remove beets from the water and transfer to a pot with ice cold water. Leave it there for 15 minutes until beets are no longer hot to the touch.
- Roasting. Preheat the oven to 400 F, wrap your beets in a foil and roast for 40-50 minutes until tender.
- Steaming. Place beets in a steamer basket and steam for 15-20 minutes until tender.
According to my mom, when beets are boiled, they retain their beautiful purple color. Therefore, this is the method I used in this beautiful Beet Salad recipe.
How To Make Beet Salad?
- Cook your beets. Start off with cleaning your beats and placing them in a medium or large pot (depending on the size of your beets). Fill pot with water so that the beets were covered entirely. Cook on a medium heat for 50-60 minutes until beets are tender. At some point during cooking you might want to add more water into the pot.
- Prepare the ice-bath. Fill a large pot with ice cold water along with some ice cubes. Transfer cooked beets into the ice water and leave them there for 15 minutes or until no longer hot. Remove from the water and peel.
- The dressing. In a medium bowl combine Greek Yogurt, 1 clove of garlic pushed through a garlic press, Dijon mustard, horseradish, diced green onions and salt. Mix well.
- Finish the salad. Grate beets in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the beets and mix until incorporated. Serve in a deep bowl sprinkled with optional green onions and walnuts.
So easy and yummy!
This Cold Beet Salad will keep for a few days in a fridge without loosing flavor. Serve it as a side dish for dinner or part of your appetizer menu.
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Recipe
Cold Beet Salad With Greek Yogurt
Ingredients
- 5 small to medium raw beets cleaned
- 6 ½ oz Greek Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 1 clove garlic* pushed through a garlic press, See the notes
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ bunch green onion diced
- 2 tablespoon walnuts optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place beets in a large pot. Fill it with water so that the beets were covered entirely. Cook on a medium heat for 50-60 minutes until beets are tender. Make sure to add more water if necessary.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with ice cold water along with ice cubes. Transfer cooked beets into the ice water and leave them there for 15 minutes or until no longer hot. Remove from the water and peel.
- In a medium bowl combine Greek Yogurt, Dijon mustard, horseradish, 1 clove of garlic, green onions and salt. Mix well.
- Using large holes of vegetable grater, grate beets into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the beets, adjust the seasoning and mix until incorporated. Serve in a deep bowl sprinkled with additional green onions if desired and walnuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Sarunas Gavelis says
Thank you for a great recipe for using beets. I buy them precooked now and that makes this so easy and quick. My wife loves mayo and uses it for beets and carrots with garlic. Your recipe is healthier and tastes wonderful.
b says
What about the honey? I is listed in the ingredients but not in the directions. I assume you add it to the dressing
Iryna says
Hi B! Oops, looks like I missed the honey indeed. You're correct, honey is added to the dressing.