Russian Beet Salad – Simply Home Cooked

By Editor On Feb 1, 2025

Modified: Feb 1, 2025 by Dina

Make this bright Russian Beet Salad for special occasions. It’s a stunning addition to the table and healthy way to enjoy a meatless meal.

Serve this salad with my Eggplant Napolean and Stuffed Chicken Thighs for a meal you’ll love.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

This Russian Beet Salad is a dish my grandmother always makes. My favorite part is the walnuts, which add the perfect amount of nutty crunch.

TASTE: The slightly sweet and naturally tart flavor of the beets is the star of the show. This salad is also rich and garlicky, with a hint of salt.
TEXTURE: The beets in the Russian Beet Salad are cooked until tender. The crunch of the walnuts is a delicious contrast.
TIME: It takes 50 minutes.
EASE: The best thing about this recipe is how simple it is. It will show you just how easy it is to make this dish.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Russian Beet Salad: beets mayo, salt, garlic, and walnuts.

Ingredient Notes

Beets- Tart and sweet, this root vegetable is available year-round in grocery stores. Look for ones that are smaller, feel heavy for their size, and have no dents or nicks.
Mayonnaise- This rich ingredient will add lots of creamy flavor and smooth texture to the salad.
Garlic- Use a fresh clove if you can, for the best flavor. Chopped or minced.
Walnuts- Chop this ingredient well. It will add an earthy, nutty flavor to the salad.
Salt- Just a pinch for flavor.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Substitute sour cream- Instead of the mayonnaise, you can make this salad with sour cream. It will still be rich, but with a tang.
Add dill- Add this fresh herb for its bright, sweet flavor. You can also add chopped dill pickle to this salad for lots of dill flavor.
Use sunflower oil- Make it lighter by using oil in place of the mayonnaise. Sunflower oil is a good choice, or you can use your favorite kind.
Add prunes- This sweet fruit chopped up in this Russian Beet Salad is a nice contrast to the tart beets and earthy walnuts.

How to Make Russian Beet Salad

Boil the beets. Wash the beets and place them into a pot. Fill the pot with enough water to fully cover the beets and boil them.
Cool. Remove the beets from the water and place them down to cool completely.
Prep the beets. Peel each beet using a peeler and then cut off the root ends. Shred them.

Pro Tip: Wear gloves when working with these beets, otherwise their rich red color will bleed onto your fingers and stain.

Steps to make Russian Beet Salad: boil the beets, peel, and shred them.

Combine ingredients. In a bowl, combine the shredded beets, chopped walnuts, grated garlic, mayonnaise, and salt. Serve.

Steps to make Russian Beet Salad: add the walnuts, beets, salt, garlic, and mayo together and mix.

Recipe Tips

Wash the beets- These are root vegetables, which means they grow in the dirt. Give them a good wash to get off any residual dirt before boiling.
Trim them- Peel off the top layer and trip off the ends. These are not flavorful and your beet salad will taste better without them.
Let them cool- You want the beets to be cool enough to handle when you peel and shred them. And you want them to be cool enough not to melt the mayonnaise.
Store it in the fridge- Not only does this keep this Russian Beet Salad fresh, it also tastes great when served chilled.

FAQs

Can I roast the beets in the oven instead of boiling them?

Boiling the beets is my favorite method. I really like how tender they turn out. But if you want, you definitely can roast the beets in the oven instead.
To roast beets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, cover the skin with olive oil and wrap them in foil pouches. Roast them for about 60 minutes, checking on them after about 45 minutes.

How long does raw beet salad last?

A shredded Russian beet salad will last for about 4 days in the refrigerator. Just store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.

Serving Suggestions

This Russian Beet Salad goes well with pretty much any pork or chicken dish, or other vegetables. It’s perfectly versatile, so you can serve it with all your favorites.

Meats: Serve this salad with Stuffed Chicken Thighs, Piroshki Recipe (Easy), Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers, or Shashlik (VIDEO).
Vegetables: Pair this Russian Beet Salad with Shredded Carrot Salad, Eggplant Napoleons, Zucchini Fritters, or Keto Stuffed Mushrooms.
Soups: Enjoy it with a bowl of Baked Potato Soup, Easy French Onion Soup, Clam Chowder Soup, or Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
Potatoes: Serve it with some Potato Pierogis (VIDEO), Scalloped Potatoes, Parmesan Roasted Potatoes, or Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can make this salad up to 3 days in advance. Just store it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Storing: Store any leftovers of the Russian Beet Salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freeze: These beets do not freeze very well, so it’s best to only make as much as you can enjoy within a few days.

More Delicious Russian and Ukrainian Dishes!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.

Let’s connect on social media! 😍 find me @ Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest. And don’t forget to tag me if you try one of my recipes!

Full Recipe Instructions