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This creamy Russian beetroot salad recipe is garlicky and herby with the perfect balanced sweet and tangy flavor. If you like the earthy sweetness of beets and you’re looking for a favorite new salad recipe, give this a try!
This one is for my fellow beet-lovers!
If you’ve never had anything like this, get ready to have your mind blown. This salad seems like an odd combination of flavors, but it’s surprisingly deliciously addictive.
Naturally sweet beets are coated in a garlicky mayo and sour cream-based dressing. Fresh herbs add depth of flavor and toasted walnuts add crunch. It’s a great example of how the whole can be so much more than the sum of its parts.
Think of this as a type of coleslaw. Here we boil the beets and then grate them, so they’re deliciously soft and sweet. Its texture is similar to a cabbage slaw salad on the second day.
In Russia and Ukraine, this beautiful side dish is a traditional fall and winter salad, and is especially popular around the holidays. With its natural red and green color combination, it would make a beautiful addition to your Christmas table!
What is Russian Beet Salad?
Don’t confuse this beet salad with vinaigrette salad (aka vinegret salad) that’s popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries of the former Soviet Union. Vinegret contains a variety of root vegetables (typically potato, beetroot, and carrot) and a sour component. A generous splash of vinegar, pickles, and/or sauerkraut are common additions.
On the other hand, this creamy beet salad has a garlicky mayonnaise sauce with a touch of sour cream. Walnuts add nutty crunch, and fresh dill perks up the flavor. It’s creamy and crunchy, as well as sweet and tangy with the perfect amount of garlic and fresh herbs to make it interesting.
Serve this up as a light lunch or first course for dinner. Or include it as part of a zakuski (zakusky) spread, which is essentially the Slavic version of Spanish tapas, French hors d’oeuvres, or Middle Eastern mezze!
(And if you enjoy sweet and tangy vegetable dishes, another great recipe to try is ikra (eggplant caviar)!)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- If you’re looking for a budget-friendly side dish, you found it. With a base of beets, this salad is as affordable as it is delicious.
- The perfect balance of flavors. This salad is a truly perfect blend of sweet and tangy components. The natural sweet, earthy flavor of beets is balanced with sour cream and a little splash of vinegar.
- It’s gorgeous. Ruby red beets are stunning, especially contrasted with deep green herbs like dill and parsley. Its red and green color combination makes it a beautiful option for a holiday side dish!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Red beets – We only use the beet root for this recipe; you can use the beet greens for something else (such as beet greens pasta!). If possible, look for medium-sized beets that are all around the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Mayo – For rich flavor and creamy texture.
- Sour cream – Here we use a blend of mayonnaise and sour cream. Like mayo, sour cream also adds creamy richness, but it also adds a slightly tangy flavor.
- White wine vinegar – For a tangy, sharp bite to contrast the sweet beets. You can also use distilled white vinegar here.
- Fresh garlic – The flavor of fresh garlic really makes this creamy salad something special! Because the garlic is raw in this salad, its flavor will be bold. I start with 2 cloves, but you can taste it and work up from there if you like.
- Salt and black pepper – These pantry-staple spices add a ton of flavor so our salad isn’t bland.
- Spring onion – Or you can use scallion or chives.
- Fresh dill and parsley – These fresh herbs add a ton of flavor and verdant color to this salad.
- Walnuts – This adds nutty crunch. However, you can skip the nuts if you prefer.
Toast the Walnuts For Maximum Flavor
For the most intense nutty flavor and aroma, be sure to toast the walnuts! You can do this on the stovetop or in the oven.
How to Make Russian Beetroot Salad
- Add the beets to a medium-sized saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over and cook until the beets are tender, about 25 minutes for medium-sized beets. You can test to see if it’s done by sliding a sharp paring knife into the center of a beet; if it slides right out, they’re done cooking. Drain the water and let them cool.
- Once the beets are cool enough to handle (about 20 minutes), peel them.
- Shred the beets on a box grater.
- Add the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, garlic, salt, black pepper, spring onion, dill, and parsley to a bowl.
- Stir to combine. Just looking at that creamy, herby, garlicky dressing you know this salad is going to be delicious!
- Stir in the shredded beet and 4 tablespoons toasted walnuts. Cover and chill for 1 hour so the flavors can blend.
Transfer the salad to a serving dish and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon walnuts on top. If desired, garnish with additional fresh spring onion (or scallion), dill, or parsley. Serve.
Storage
Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s even better on the second day than it is on the first, so plan ahead and make this the day before you want to eat it!
Variations
- Dried fruit: If desired, you can add 1/4 cup of chopped prunes or raisins to the salad.
- Feta: Top with 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese right before serving.
Expert Tips
- To avoid staining your hands red, wear food-grade gloves when handling the beets.
- If you have the time, let this salad chill for 1 hour (or overnight) before serving. It allows the flavors to blend beautifully.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, wait to peel the beets until after boiling them. After boiling beet root, the skin just slips right off, and you don’t even have to use a vegetable peeler or paring knife!
If you’re trying to peel raw beets, you’ll need a vegetable peeler or paring knife. However, if you cook beets whole and then peel them after cooking, the skin will easily skip right off.
You can toast walnuts on the stovetop or in the oven.
To toast walnuts on the stovetop, add them to a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until they’re golden and fragrant, about 5 to 8 minutes.
To toast walnuts in the oven, preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the walnuts out on a baking tray and bake until golden and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
More Beet Recipes You’ll Love
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Russian Beetroot Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound beets we use beetroot only for this recipe, you can use beet greens for something else; look for medium-sized beets so they cook evenly
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic crushed (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 spring onion very thinly sliced (or 2 scallions)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 5 tablespoons walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped (divided into 4 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Add the beets to a medium-sized saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over and cook until the beets are tender, about 25 minutes for medium-sized beets. You can test to see if it’s done by sliding a sharp paring knife into the center of a beet; if it slides right out, they’re done cooking. Drain the water and let them cool.
- Once the beets are cool enough to handle (about 20 minutes), peel and shred them.
- Add the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, garlic, salt, black pepper, spring onion, dill, and parsley to a bowl and stir to combine. Stir in the shredded beet and 4 tablespoons toasted walnuts.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour so the flavors can blend.
- Transfer the salad to a serving dish and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon walnuts on top. If desired, garnish with additional fresh spring onion (or scallion), dill, or parsley. Serve.
Notes
- How to Toast Walnuts: Add the walnuts to a dry skillet over medium-low heat and cook until they smell nutty and start to turn golden in spots, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s even better on the second day than it is on the first, so plan ahead and make this the day before you want to eat it!
- Optional Add-Ins: If desired, you can add 1/4 cup of chopped prunes or raisins to the salad, and top with 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese right before serving.
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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