Classic Russian vinaigrette salad (Винегрет) with roasted beets, dressed in simple extra virgin olive oil. This vibrant root-vegetable salad is a healthy comfort food, perfect all year round!
I’m back with beets again! 🙂
On my last beet recipe, I learned that I’m not the only one who loves beets! (Sometimes, I sure do feel that way!)
Anyway, since many of us love this beautiful ruby red root vegetable, I thought I’ll share another favorite salad from my childhood. It’s a classic Russian vinaigrette salad, that’s made of beets, potatoes, carrots, pickles, and sometimes sauerkraut. Loaded with fresh parsley and dressed with extra virgin olive oil, this root vegetable salad is healthy, delicious and absolutely gorgeous. This one is a staple in Russian cuisine!
It might seem like time-consuming process to make this salad, but all the efforts are well worth it. The salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, and it gets better and better over time.
To me, roasting the beets is the most effortless and delicious way to bring out the sweet flavors. Simply wrap the whole beet in a foil, and roast for about forty minutes, until it’s fork tender. You can throw it in the oven when you’re making a casserole or something (if you’re baking something at lower temp, it’ll just take a bit longer for beets to cook through.)
Just like in my potato salad, I like to dice the potatoes and carrots before cooking. It’s easy and no-mess method. Oh here is a quick tip: to prevent the potato cubes from falling apart add a tiny bit of vinegar in the water. The potatoes come out perfectly in shape without getting mushy.
Typically, this salad also includes sauerkraut, but I don’t put any in mine. The pickles add enough tang, plus the crunchy pickles add a nice texture.
Hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, I’d love to hear your feedback. Cheers!
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Винегрет)
Ingredients
- 1 large beet
- 3 medium russet potatoes
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more if needed
- 3-4 pickles
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Wrap the beet in a foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Once cooked, unwrap, cool until safe to handle and peel. Dice the roasted beet into small cubes.
- Cut the potatoes and carrot into small even cubes. In a large pot filled with water, add the cubed potatoes and carrots. Add vinegar and salt and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat and gently boil until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool to room temperature.
- Cut the pickles into small cubes. Chop the parsley.
- In a large bowl, combine cubed beets, potatoes, carrots, pickles, and parsley. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and mix until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
I would love to know what type of pickles are used with so many different types of pickles available, and sizes of pickles I’m really not sure how much to put in a recipe and what type? As you know we have Dills, kosher Dills, bread and butter, sweet gherkins etc. thanks
Hi, Karen. I use Dill pickles.
5 star plus
Aww, thank you so much, Vera!!
Thanks Shinee, your salad looks so appetizing…I’m Russian, but I live in France since many years,so when I have friends for dinner I often try to introduce our national dishes into the menu…and russian vinaigrette is a good example…it’s also can be served with white mayonnaise instead of oil/vinegar dressing…and with green peas,of course…👍👍👍
Hi, Natalia! I love that you introduce delicious Russian cuisine to your friends in France. I bet they love it. I’ve never made vinaigrette with mayo, but I’ll try that next time. It’ll be similar to salad olivie, but with beets. 🙂
Now guess what I’m craving? ????
Vinegret!!! I wanna make it soon too. 😉
My mother-in-law always added green peas and chopped onion, so I did too. My Russian husband has just finished his second serving and is cleaning the bowl with a crust of bread! That’s high praise indeed.
Yay, that is awesome, Holly! You’re right, green peas are very common, as well as onion. My husband doesn’t digest onion well, so I learned to cook without it. 🙂 Thanks so much for coming back and leaving your feedback.