Cold Beet Salad Recipe (2024)

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posted by Liz Berg

on July 31, 2012 (updated 7/12/23)

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This scrumptious Beet Salad Recipe with Blue Cheese and Hearts of Palm bought back memories of years gone by. I was spoiled by homegrown beets fresh from the loamy Iowa soil in our childhood garden. My mom would work her magic pickling beets every summer.

This Roasted Beet Salad was such a tasty treat! If you love beets, add this recipe to your menu ASAP.

Cold Beet Salad Recipe (1)

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Expert Tips

3 How to Roast Beets

4 Frequently Asked Questions

6 Beet, Blue Cheese and Hearts of Palm Salad

Why You Must Make

  • Anytime you have access to fresh summer beets, it’s the perfect time to try a new recipe. Bumping into a friend with a sackful of fresh beets at the Farmers’ Market, she led me to her favorite vendor. Were beets on my shopping list? Nope. But it doesn’t take much to convince me to add them to my menu.
  • A beet salad recipe with blue cheese is a delightful combination and worth making a detour to the grocery store.
  • If you’ve never had hearts of palm, they’re a cool, briny vegetable that is delicious in salads. This is your chance to give them a try. They are found in cans or jars near the artichoke hearts.
Cold Beet Salad Recipe (2)

Expert Tips

This cold beet salad garnered my attention due to the addition of hearts of palm. Like artichoke hearts, this is another ingredient I love to add to salads. Red bell pepper, green onions, and the requisite blue cheese completed this delectable side.

  • PRO-Tip: Note that goat cheese also pairs deliciously with beets and can be swapped out for the blue cheese.
  • I had some leftover balsamic vinaigrette in my fridge, but I also think a sherry vinaigrette would be a splendid beet salad dressing.
  • PRO-Tip: Choosing multi-colored beets makes for an impressive presentation.

How to Roast Beets

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  2. Trim off the leaves and stem.
  3. Wash the beets well to minimize an overly earthy flavor.
  4. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
  5. Roast for about an hour, more or less depending on the size of your beets.
  6. When they are done, a knife can be inserted easily into the flesh of the beet.
  7. Once cool enough to handle, use your fingers to peel the skins from the beets. May use a paring knife if needed. Note: beet juice will stain your hands so use gloves if this is a concern.
  8. Slice or cube to use in your favorite beet recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are Beets in Season?

Beets can be found in supermarkets all year long, though they are best from June to October. Check out your farmers’ market to get the freshest summer beets.

What do Beets Taste Like?

Many have only tasted beets when they’re pickled and the vinegar brine obscures the true beet flavor. It’s been said that beets taste like dirt, but “earthy” is a better term. They contain a compound called geosmin that is also in mushrooms, and spinach and also provides a distinct smell after it rains! They have a definite sweetness and some can detect a slightly floral flavor.

How do you Roast Beets?

Roasting is my favorite way to prepare beets, though they can also be steamed or boiled in well-salted water.
To roast beets, first wash well, wrap in foil and cook in a 400-degree oven for about an hour, more or less depending on their size. More details are below.

What’s a good substitute for blue cheese?

In this salad, feel free to use feta or goat cheese if you don’t like blue cheese.

What are hearts of palm?

Hearts of palm are the edible portion of the cabbage palm tree. With a flavor similar to artichokes, these ivory spears are firm in texture and delicate in flavor. They are harvested in Florida and Brazil. If this is your first hearts of palm salad, I hope it won’t be your last!

You May Also Like:

  • Russian Beet Salad from The View from Great Island
  • Macho Salad Recipe
  • Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad
  • Cherry Orange Salad
  • Holiday Lettuce Salad
  • More of the Best Salad Recipes

Stay in touch through social media@Instagram,Facebook, andPinterest. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes! And if you love the results, please give it a 5-star rating in the recipe card.

Cold Beet Salad Recipe (4)

The Recipe:

Beet, Blue Cheese and Hearts of Palm Salad

Prep Time10 minutes

Total Time10 minutes

Yield4 servings

!Salad adapted from Bon Appetit; Salad dressing adapted from the Mom 100 Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 4 cups packed mixed baby greens
  • One can hearts of palm, drained, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 6 small beets, roasted, peeled and sliced
  • 3 ounces (about 3/4 cup) crumbled blue cheese, I used Maytag
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup favorite vinaigrette* (I'd suggest balsamic or sherry vinegar based, see recipe below)

For dressing:

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup aged balsamic or sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Instructions

  1. Combine or arrange all ingredients except vinaigrette in a bowl. Toss. Add dressing and toss to coat.
  2. To make dressing, add all ingredients to a liquid measuring cup or bowl. Whisk to combine.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 525Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 965mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 10gSugar: 16gProtein: 12g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Cold Beet Salad Recipe (5)

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Salads Sides

posted by Liz Berg on July 31, 2012
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    4 Comments on “Cold Beet Salad Recipe”

  1. Toni Reply

    One of my favorite beet recipe! It is so good!

  2. sommer Reply

    This roasted beet recipe is one of the best, and the ingredients make this something special!

  3. Cecilia Reply

    What a great recipe! I love every ingredient in it. I have to make that – soon! Thanks!

  4. Blackswan Reply

    Wonderful salad, Liz! If only I’m living next door……. xoxo

Cold Beet Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make beet root salad? ›

Unwrap the beets and let them cool. Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl to make dressing. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.

How do you make beets more flavorful? ›

Although you cannot do much about the texture, my advice would be to throw in a lot of seasoning. Bring out the flavour of the beets. Season with salt, pepper, spices of your choice, and top it all off with some olive oil. Seasoning is key.

Is it better to roast or boil beets for salad? ›

The softest texture will be the boiled beets, the roasted beets will be tender, but will still have a little “bite” to them. The steamed beets will be somewhere in the middle. If using the beets in a salad, or serving them as a side dish, I prefer the roasted or steamed beets.

How do you eat cold beets? ›

You can eat them sliced or grated in salads, or you can juice them and mix the juice with other fruit and vegetable juices. Some people also enjoy eating raw beets as a snack, either sliced or grated.

Why do you put vinegar in beets? ›

Beets are a weekly ritual around here. Usually we boil them and toss them in a sweet sour vinaigrette and keep them in the refrigerator to eat all week. The vinegar in the dressing "pickles" the beets, helping them last longer in the fridge.

How do you cut raw beets for salad? ›

How to Cut Beets
  1. Cut off the root end and the stem end using a Hardy Slicer.
  2. Peel the skin using a Vegetable Peeler or Paring Knife.
  3. Place the beet flat side down on the cutting board and cut into slices of desired thickness.
  4. Stack the slices to cut into planks.
  5. Cut the planks crosswise to dice.
Jul 17, 2018

What flavors pair well with beets? ›

Also ingredients like dark chocolate, nuts, coffee or roasted onions have earthy flavors and pair well with beetroot. This could be explained by the presence of 'pyrazines', which are aromatic structures formed during the process of roasting ingredients. These pyrazines also contain an earthy smell.

What is the healthiest way to eat beets? ›

Eating beets raw or juicing and roasting them may be more beneficial than boiling them. Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a vibrant and versatile type of vegetable. They're known for their earthy flavor and aroma. Many people call them a superfood because of their rich nutritional profile.

Do you have to peel beets for salad? ›

They can be roasted, boiled or steamed, and even eaten raw — thinly sliced or shredded beets add an interesting crunch to salads. Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling.

Can you drink the beet juice from boiling beets? ›

Yes, you can. It's completely safe to drink water that has been used to boil beetroots. Why can't I eat them raw? Actually, beets can be eaten raw, especially when grated or made into a salad.

Should I peel beets before boiling? ›

TIPS FOR cooking beets

Keep checking whichever method you're using. Don't remove the beet skin before cooking. It's really not necessary and it's much easier to do so after cooking. Some also find that removing the skin prior to cooking takes away some of the beet's earthy test.

Is it okay to eat beets cold? ›

Yes, raw beets and beet greens are used in a variety of ways. Raw beet greens can be thinly sliced and used in a salad. Raw beets can be tough, so they must be sliced or grated ultra-thin to be crispy and edible. They're great in slaws, salads and relishes.

How cold is too cold for beets? ›

Semi-hardy vegetables that can withstand light frost of air temperatures in the range of 28 to 32 degrees include beets, carrots, parsnip, lettuce, chard, garden pea (before flowering), Chinese cabbage, endive, radicchio, cauliflower, parsley and celery.

What is the most popular way to eat beets? ›

One of the most popular ways to cook beets is to chop them up, toss 'em with oil and seasoning, and roast until slightly soft and caramelized—perfect for enjoying on their own or adding to tons of different dishes, like pasta and salad.

What is the best way to eat beetroot raw or cooked? ›

Here are five of our favorite ways to eat beets.
  1. Raw! – Yes, beets are quite good raw. ...
  2. Roasted with goat cheese. – The classic, all-time favorite preparation. ...
  3. In a salad. – Beets make a good complement to other salad staples. ...
  4. Pickled! – Pickled beets are just marvelous. ...
  5. As dessert.

Is beetroot salad good for you? ›

Health benefits of beets include more stamina during exercise, heart disease and stroke prevention, and lower blood pressure. You can roast, grate, or put them into soups and salads. If you're prone to kidney stones or gout, avoid beets or limit how much you eat.

Is beet root better raw or boiled? ›

However, most Americans don't get enough fiber, and beets are a good source of the insoluble type, which helps keep you regular and full longer than beet juice. Raw beets contain more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than cooked beets (yes, you can eat beets raw!).

Can I eat raw beetroot? ›

A: Yes, you can eat raw beets. They are often served peeled and sliced, but they are safe to eat with the skin on. (15) You can eat raw beets plain or with seasoning. Alternatively, you can add raw beets to a salad for a sweet crunch.

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