A roasted vegan beet salad is prepared by cooking the beets and then marinating them in a few flavorful ingredients. This simple beet recipe is incredibly delicious, healthy, and perfect for any time of the year.
Also, try this Korean Carrot Salad.
Whether it's winter or summer, the season is always appropriate for my Korean-style beet salad.
This is a recipe that takes me back to my childhood. There is a popular side dish called Korean-style carrots. It is prepared by marinating raw carrots in garlic, pepper, and spices. That recipe is my favorite.
You can actually say this is a Ukrainian beet salad because it is so popular in post-Soviet countries.
However, don't confuse it with another Ukrainian/Russian salad with beets, - vinagret. It's also delicious, and I recommend you try it.
This vegan beetroot salad is inspired by Korean-style marinated carrots. If you're looking for the best healthy beetroot recipes, this one's for you.
It's so easy and makes an impressively yummy side dish for any occasion.
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Here's Why This Recipe Works
- Beets are loaded with nutrients like Vitamin A, C, and B9 and that's why it's a great idea to consume this root vegetable regularly;
- This vegan beet salad is so easy to make, it stores well and can be prepared ahead of time;
- The secret to incredible flavor is the addition of garlic, vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Simple ingredients but they do a great job at marinating the beets making them super delicious;
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
- Beets. Any color of beets, really.
- Vinegar. Since this is an Asian salad, we're going to be using rice vinegar. However white wine vinegar or even Balsamic will work here as well
- Garlic. This recipe uses only 2 garlic cloves which is plenty for most people. If you're a garlic lover like me feel free to use 3 garlic cloves
- Sugar. Make sure to use organic cane sugar. Regular cane sugar is processed with bone char which doesn't make the sugar vegan
Instructions
1. To make this cold beet salad, start off by cooking the beets. There are two ways to do that. You can roast them in the oven. Preheat it to 400 F, drizzle the beets with some oil, and roast for about an hour. Or, if you want to speed up this process, you can steam them.
Simply place a steamer basket over a pot filled with 1-2 cups of water, cover it with a lid, and steam on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. They should be tender when poked with a knife. If they're not - steam them 5-10 minutes longer. After the beets are tender, set them aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook the onion. Heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook for 7-10 minutes until it's translucent and starts to brown.
3. After your beets have cooled off, peel them and grate on large holes of the box grater.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine grated beets, sautéed onion, garlic pushed through a garlic press, rice vinegar, coriander, sugar, and salt. Mix everything well and adjust the salt.
COOK’S TIP
At this point, Asian beet salad with onions is ready, however, it'll be especially delicious if you allow at least 30 minutes for it to marinate.
This time will be enough for the flavors to meld and marry, and you'll have the yummiest beet salad ever.
You can leave the salad to marinate on a counter or put it in a fridge.
Storage
Cooked beets last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. This means you can cook them ahead of time and then assemble the salad on the day you plan to consume it.
You can also prepare the entire salad 2–3 days in advance. In fact, the longer it sits, the more delicious it will be.
Since this easy beetroot salad is served cold, there's no need to reheat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no doubt that beet salads are one of the healthiest ones. Beets have a high fiber content and lots of vitamins. Add fresh garlic and onions, and you have a nutritional powerhouse.
Yes. In fact, this is the recipe that will taste great with raw beets. Since we're giving the salad at least 30 minutes to marinate, this will ensure that the raw beets will soak up all the spices and taste delicious.
Not everyone likes beets, because of their sweetness or earthy taste. The secret to making beets taste delicious is to marinate them in spices like garlic and coriander.
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Related Recipes
If you want to learn more, check out my Vegan Beet Salad web story.
Recipe
Vegan Beet Salad (Korean Style)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb beets washed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon coconut sugar or organic cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds optional
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley optional
Instructions
Cook the beets
- Place a steamer basket over a pot filled with 1-2 cups of water, cover it with a lid, and steam on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. They should be tender when poked with a knife. If they're not - steam them 5-10 minutes longer. After the beets are tender, set them aside to cool.
Saute the onion
- While you steam the beats, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, and over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook for 7-10 minutes until it's translucent and starts to brown.
Grate the beets
- After your beets have cooled off, peel them and grate on large holes of the box grater.
Combine the ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl combine grated beets, sautéed onion, garlic pushed through a garlic press, rice vinegar, coriander, sugar, and salt. Mix everything well and adjust the salt. Sprinkle the beet salad with the sesame seeds and parsley if you want and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
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.
Gretchen Toolan says
I was pleasantly surprised by the mild flavor of this salad. It is delicious and not overwhelmingly "beet" or vinegary. I served it over a bed of spinach with a side of cottage cheese. will definitely make again.
Iryna Bychkiv says
Gretchen, thank you for your comment and 5-star rating! I'm happy you enjoyed this beet salad! Also, I like the idea of serving it over spinach.
Deb says
Absolutely delicious!! I couldn’t predict the final taste as I don’t use coriander much and was just floored! Thanks so much!!
Iryna says
Deb, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe:)
Shelley says
Delish! I roasted the beets, added a tad more rice vinegar and added the sesame seed..no parsley. I will make this often..just for me🤣
No one else in my household likes beets
Iryna says
Shelley, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Karen H. says
I followed the recipe exactly and in the end I found that it was just way too salty (and I tend to like things salty, so that's saying something!). I will give it ago again since the rest of the ingredients make for an appealing combination, but next time I will use about half the salt.
Iryna says
Karen, I'm sorry the salad was too salty. Please, try it with less salt next time, and let me know how it turns out.
Brittany says
This is seriously SO good!! I've been looking for recipes that will help me increase my fibre intake. I had beets sitting in my fridge for so long and wasn't sure how to make them tasty. This recipe made them super tasty and fresh. I will definitely be making this again 🙂
Iryna says
Brittany, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Teresa S says
love fresh beets but in a pinch canned beets that are not pickled work.
sugar makes them more tolerable if aren't a fan of earth flavor.
Teresa S says
I made this left onion out. sugar makes beets taste better if you're not fan of their earthy flavor. believe it or not I used canned beets not pickled beets regular canned beets and wow low cost nice addition to your main meal.
Iryna says
Teresa, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm so happy you loved this recipe!
tracy says
Made this and didn't want to add the onions so I left them out and I subbed the oil for sesame oil. Delicious! I will definitely make this again. Thank you
Iryna says
Tracy, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm so happy you liked this recipe!