Pickled Beet Salad

Beets don’t always get the love they deserve, but this pickled beet salad reminds us why we should pay them more attention. The salad is subtly sweet and delightfully savory, and it’s elevated by a bright and zesty lemon dressing. It’s refreshing enough to make on warmer days and filling enough to be welcome any time of year.

Pickled Beet Salad Ingredients

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

• Beets: Beets offer a natural, earthy sweetness and softness, along with vibrant color and a host of nutrients.
• English cucumber: An English cucumber will add some crunch to your salad. This varietal is less bitter than other cucumbers and doesn’t need to be peeled.
• Green onions: Green onions lend some bite and savoriness to the salad.
• Carrot: Like beets, the carrots bring in a little bit of natural sweetness.
• Sweet yellow or red pepper: Peppers offer crunch and crispiness.
• Red onion: It wouldn’t be a salad without onion. Red onion is best raw, and it offers savory sharpness and depth.
• Radish: Another source of crunch, radishes are a little peppery in flavor.
• Fresh parsley: Parsley thrives at elevating other flavors (and it tastes great with the lemon in the dressing).

Dressing:

• Olive oil: The liquid base for the dressing, olive oil is neutral enough that it won’t dominate the other flavors.
• Lemon zest and lemon juice: Lemon zest is always the key to really bringing through that lemon flavor. As for the juice, whenever possible, use fresh-squeezed lemon juice for maximum brightness of flavor.
• Garlic clove: Savory and complex, garlic balances the tartness of the lemon.

Directions

Step 1: Cook and prep the beets

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the beets and trim the tops. Wrap the beets in foil and place them on a baking sheet, then bake them until they’re tender, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let the beets cool slightly, then peel them and cut them into cubes.

Step 2: Start composing the salad

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Place the cucumber, green onions, carrots, yellow or red pepper, red onion, radish and parsley in a large serving bowl.

Step 3: Make the dressing

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the cucumber mixture, then gently stir in the beets.

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Pickled Beet Salad Variations

• Add cheese: Sprinkle some feta or goat cheese on top of your salad.
• Make it a main: Add a protein like baked chicken or grilled steak on top of the salad to make it more filling. Or get really indulgent and serve it alongside a leg of lamb.
• Go green: You can toss in some arugula, kale or spinach for a little extra greenery.
• Pickle your beets: Make them pickled beets for a little extra tang in your salad.
• Add nuts: Try adding some chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans to the dish for extra crunch.

How to Store Pickled Beet Salad

Because there are fresh ingredients, we would recommend eating this salad within three days. Note that if you’re using red beets, its vibrant color can stain the other ingredients.

Can you make pickled beet salad ahead of time?

You can prep the components in advance, but for the best results, we recommend keeping all the ingredients separate until right before serving.

Pickled Beet Salad Tips

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

What are the best beets to use in a beet salad?

You can use any sort of beet here. Red beets are the boldest and most flavorful beets, which is why we use them in this recipe, but the choice is yours.

Can I use canned beets in this recipe?

You can, which is helpful if you’re short on time or can’t find fresh beets at your market. However, whenever possible, we recommend using fresh, since that will always taste the best.

Should I peel my beets before roasting them?

We recommend peeling them after roasting, because it will be infinitely easier.