A super healthy beetroot salad, full of vitamins and minerals, simple to prepare, flavoursome with aromatic cumin seeds and fresh, fragrant mint.
These beet spirals have a combination of sweetness and earthiness which works well with the tart red wine vinegar dressing, aromatic cumin and fresh mint in this salad.
You Will Need
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare the Beets
Trim the root end and the leaves from your beets, but do not throw them away if they are fresh and unmarked as they make a great salad on their own (just blanch them until tender, drain, season and add some red wine vinegar & olive oil!).
Scrub your beets thoroughly under cold running water to remove all the dirt. As beets are grown in the ground they are quite often laden with dirt.
Peel them with a vegetable peeler.
Then spiralize on a medium setting using a spiralizer, cut the end bits into matchsticks.
Place the spiralled beetroot in a large pan with cold water and boil to your liking (either soft or al dente) (approximately 20 minutes).
Drain and rinse under cold water until cool, cut your spirals with some kitchen scissors so that they are manageable.
Alternatively, boil your beets whole (approximately 30-40 minutes) then cut into julienne or chop into small dice.
Step 2 - Toast Cumin Seeds
Place your cumin seeds in a hot frypan and heat until they are golden and aromatic approximately 2-3 minutes.
Once they are ready, immediately remove to a cold plate to stop the cooking process, otherwise, they may burn.
Step 3 - Assemble Your Beetroot Salad
In a large mixing bowl add the cool beetroot and the herbs, minced garlic, oil and red wine vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
Arrange your cold beet salad in a bowl and chill until you are ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions 🍽
Pair this cold beet salad with rich meats like pork, roast ham, beef brisket, gamey meats such as duck, as well as oilier fish like sardines, herring or salmon.
People Also Ask
I Don't Have a Spiralizer, Can I Still Make It?
If you don’t have a sprializer then there is no need to panic, you can easily boil your beets and cut them into small dice or julienne instead.
Can I Make It in Advance?
- You can also make this cold beet salad the day before, keep it in the fridge and just add the parsley and mint just before serving. This allows the flavours to develop for a much tastier salad.
- As a time-saver, you can also use the vacuum-packed beets, refer below for tips.
Can I Use Tinned or Vaccum Packed Beets?
- I don't recommend using canned or tinned beets in this salad; they have a briny taste and are full of sodium.
- As a time-saver, you can also use the vacuum-packed beets that you find in the fruit and veg section of your supermarket for this salad.
- You will lose some of the sweet taste and some flavour but they are still good as they have been steamed whole and then sealed to retain their nutrients and freshness.
- Just chop them into small dice or julienne to use.
Can I Food Prep This Salad?
- This cold beet salad is perfect to food prep for your lunches during the week as you can add some grains such as pearl barley or quinoa and some additional protein such as grilled chicken, roast beef or feta to make a substantial, lunch.
- Again, leave the mint and parsley out until the last minute.
Isn't This a Lot of Dressing for This Salad?
- This may seem like a lot of dressing, but the beetroots really need it so that they can soak up all the delicious flavours from the red wine vinegar and cumin seeds.
- Also, the bright red earthy beet juice with the dressing is just so delicious to dunk some fresh bread into!
Some Beet Salads You May Like...
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Spiralizer
Ingredients
- 700 grams beets (6 small beets or 4 medium to large beets -bulbs only)
- 1 cup parsley leaves (chopped)
- ½ cup mint leaves (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (toasted)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Wash, trim and peel your beetroots, then spiralize on a medium setting using a spiralizer. (Reserve your beet leaves for another use.)1
- Place the spiralled beetroot in a large pan with cold water and boil to your liking (either soft or al dente) (approximately 20 minutes).
- Alternatively, boil your beets whole (approximately 30-40 minutes) then cut into julienne or chop into small dice.
- Drain and rinse under cold water until cool, cut your spirals with some kitchen scissors so that they are manageable.
- Place your cumin seeds in a hot frypan and heat until they are golden and aromatic approximately 2-3 minutes. Once they are ready, immediately remove to a cold plate to stop the cooking process, otherwise, they may burn.
- In a large mixing bowl add the cool beetroot and the herbs, minced garlic, oil and red wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
- Arrange in a salad bowl and chill until you are ready to serve.
Notes
- You can also make this salad the day before, keep it in the fridge and just add the parsley and mint just before serving. This allows the flavours to develop for a much tastier salad.
