Beet Salad Recipe

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This beet salad is loaded with 3 pounds of beets (super healthy) and the marinade gives it wonderful flavor – you’ll want seconds. This beet salad is perfect for parties because it’s a make-ahead salad that stores really well in the refrigerator and you can easily double the recipe and can it.
The story behind this salad: My sister, Anna, came home one day from dinner at her mom-in-laws and was going on and on about this salad she had tried. Ofcourse, I called and asked for the recipe. Galina, her Mom-in-law is a brilliant cook. One of the most popular recipes we’ve shared on our blog, is from Galina as well as this scrumptious kale salad. Thank you Galina for generously sharing your recipes with us and making the world a yummier place :).
Ingredients for Beet Salad:
3 lbs fresh beets (6 large)
1 lb carrot (8 medium), grated
1 lb (2 medium) onions, finely chopped
3/4 lb (5 medium) tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
Ingredients for Marinade:
1 cup olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp salt (I used sea salt and non-iodized is best)

How to Make Marinated Beet Salad:
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
1. Place beets in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 400˚F for 2 hours. I cut my largest beet in half for even baking. Beets do not have to be completely cooked through, but firm tender. Once beets are cool enough to handle, use gloves and rub beets to remove the skin – it should come off easily. Grate beets on the large holes of a grater (p.s. this food processor makes it REALLY easy).

2. Grate carrots, slice bell pepper and chop onions and tomatoes.

3. Put marinade ingredients into a large soup pot and bring marinade to a boil. Add all prepared vegetables including beets to the pot and simmer partially covered 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, vegetables will be soft. Cool salad to room temperature then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pro Tip
Do not completely cover with lid since the vinegar needs to evaporate out as it cooks.


Marinated Beet Salad

Ingredients
For the Beet Salad:
- 3 lbs fresh beets, 6 large
- 1 lb carrot, 8 medium, grated
- 1 lb 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 3/4 lb 5 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
For the Marinade:
- 1 cup olive oil or canola oil
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt, I used sea salt and non-iodized is best
Instructions
Prep: Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Place beets in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 400˚F for 2 hours. I cut my largest beet in half for even baking. Beets do not have to be fully cooked through. Once beets are cool enough to handle, use gloves and rub beets to remove the skin – it should come off easily. Grate beets on the large holes of a grater
- Grate carrots, slice bell pepper and chop onions and tomatoes.
- Put marinade ingredients into a large soup pot and bring marinade to a boil. Add all prepared vegetables including beets to the pot and simmer partially covered 50 min, stirring occasionally. Do not fully cover with lid since the vinegar needs to evaporate out as it cooks. When done, vegetables will be soft. Cool salad to room temperature then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hi Natasha! Would I be able to use this instead of regular beets for borscht?! Your borscht calls for 3 medium beets, how much of the salad would I need? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Anna, I haven’t tried adding this salad to borscht to advise on the outcome, but I do love the idea of using baked beets in borsht though.
Hi I was wondering if you can use pickled beets? Or canned beets?
Hi Ira, I think freshly cooked have the best flavor, but canned beats would probably work fine.
Would the directions stay the same then? Pickled beets are in vinegar I believe and the juice it’s in would be delicious to use…
HI Ira, I honestly haven’t tried with pickled beets so I could only guess without testing it first. Pickled beets would need modifications though.
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Great question! Thank you for reaching out! There is a great deal of work that goes into it and we share a lot about our process here. I hope that helps.
Oh no, don’t have sugar. Can I use honey?
Hi Liza, I honestly haven’t tried honey but it’s worth experimenting if that is your preferred sweetener. Just keep in mind that honey is sweeter than sugar so you may need a little less honey than 1/2 cup.
I make this salad today and can’t stop eating! Soooo good!
That’s great! It sounds like you have a favorite! Thanks for sharing Natalya 😀
How long would this last in the fridge? As it was under your canning section I thought it would be processed in jars for long storage…? Looks wonderful but not sure I can use it up too quickly. Thanks!
Hi shelley, I haven’t maxed out the life expectancy but I would say at least 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge. I haven’t canned it myself but one of my readers reported the following: ” I canned the beet salad in open kettle for 20 minutes for 1/2 pints and 25 for pints. I can’t see any problems canning Beet salad, as it has vinegar in the recipe. Just get a good seal on the lids😊.” I think it would work as a canning recipe if you feel you won’t get through it quickly enough 🙂
This beet salad is to die for…thanks Natasha, I love it. I left out the peppers but I made 1 plus 1/2 recipes which made 7 –1/2 cup jars, and 5 –pints. With only 8 carrots 1 huge onion, and 5 huge beets…I added dried dill 2 small tablespoons. I’m making this again. Forget the pickles. And also made Plum jam…awesome easy, delicious. I’m loving your site. Making the pesto next.🇨🇦❣🇨🇦❣🇨🇦❣😊❣😊❣😊❣Thanks again. From small town Alberta Canada. Cheers Carolyn
Carolyn, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Thanks for the reply Natasha, I canned the beet salad in open kettle for 20 minutes for 1/2 pints and 25 for pints. I can’t see any problems canning Beet salad, as it has vinegar in the recipe. Just get a good seal on the lids😊. We had it with pork chops and ate the whole jar, I’m afraid to let anyone have any, they’ll want more. Lol .
Hi Natasha, this salad looks delicious, was wondering how you would can this salad. I’m not very familiar with canning vegetables so I would love some advice.
Hi Manuela, I haven’t tried canning this recipe so I’m not sure if it would work well without adding more acidity to preserve it.
Hello Natasha,
I wondered in what level heat should be all ingredients while simmering time is.
I bring it to a low boil and then turn the heat down until it is just simmering. On my stove that is on medium/low heat.
Natasha: I made beet salad this afternoon – it’s beautiful and delicious too. I’ll bring it all to church tomorrow for the coffee hour after liturgy – it will disappear fast. We are still in Lent so it’s perfect.
Aleksei
That’s awesome! I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
I ended up using about a cup of leftover beet salad in making borcht. I thought it added great flavor.
I LOVE that idea!! Wow! thanks for sharing that with us 🙂
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Hi, our site is optimized to fit modern browsers both on desktop and mobile and yours is the first report of this. It may be your browser. What browser are you using and what version?
Natasha, please make a cook book!
Cook book is on my to-do list 😀.
Excellent! Can’t wait!
Wow this salad looks very tasty!
Thank you Sveta 😀. It tastes as good as it looks.
Does it taste kinds sweet?
Natasha, it is a little sweet, like you would expect beets to be 😃.
Where is the garlic, Natasha?! 🙂
This recipe doesn’t call for garlic, but I suppose you could add it if you wanted to. I’m not sure it will have much garlic aroma after being cooked that long, but it may add something. If you use garlic, let me know! 🙂
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Have you tried adding baked beets to the borsch instead of boiling them? I have been adding the beets separately after boiling and grating them in the Kitchenaid food processor. But, I don’t like “throwing” the beet water out after boiling them separately.
I love the idea of using baked beets in borsht. When I boil beets for borscht, I use the same water for the borscht – it makes for a very rich and beautiful broth. I just make sure the beets are really scrubbed clean when I add them.
This is my favorite beet salad! I am making it every single week!
That’s awesome! There’s alot of good, healthy stuff in this one 🙂
My sister would love this recipe… she is obsessed with beets. I still find them a bit too earthy tasting, but if I make this I will have a happy sister at least 😛
I hope you love it too. The marinade covers any earthy taste that might be there, but then again, I’m also obsessed with beets! 🙂
Hi Natasha! This looks like an awesome recipe. But how do you think it’s gonna taste if I omit the sugar? My husband loves beat salads, but he can’t have any sugar for now not even honey. Thanks!
Hi Inna, honestly I don’t think it would work without the sugar or something sweet to offset the vinegar.
Wonder if I apple cider vinegar will do it? Its kind of sweet. I still will give it a try. We love those salads and it would be mean if I make it and he can’t have any.
Let me know how that works out. I’m curious!
Sounds delicious! I want to make it for a party. How many people it approximately feed? Need to know if I should double the recipe. 🙂
Hi Anna, it makes about 8 cups so it depends on if you have alot of dinner guests and if there are any other salads on the menu. If this is the only salad, it could serve 8. It could probably stretch to 12 or 14 if there are other salads available.
Inna, try Stevia – since it is a natural plant that does not affect blood sugar.
Just found your blog via the sweet potato & mashed potato combo recipe. We had it the other night and my 2 yr old boy gobbled up the “orange potatoes”. Want to make this recipe and the linked kale salad. We are farmers who grow kale, lettuce, arugula and watercress. We sell at a farmers market every Saturday so we have great access to lots of produce! But we are on the other side of the continent – Florida! Drooled at your Hawaii pix. Also have a 5 mo old baby girl so can identify with your family! Thx for the recipes!!
Welcome to the site Heather 😃and you are very welcome. That is the best when kids love what we Mom’s make. That’s so great!
Natasha , is taste different when beets are roasted or boiled ? Love your website !
I think roasting it makes the beets taste sweeter and you don’t lose any flavor to the cooking water. I boil when I make soup but lately I love to roast them for other recipes. Also, when you bake, they retain more nutrients. Thank you 🙂
Wow another beet salad recipe Natasha this is too much lol looks like a real winna yeaaaaaa babyyyyyy
Lol, give it a try Tzivia, it won’t disappoint 😁.
Maybe tomorrow or Friday for Shabbat might roast them again very into roasting veggies thanx again darlin cheers
Natasha thank you for recipe. You boil all ingredients 50 min
Yes, simmer everything 50 minutes. I hope you enjoy this salad! 🙂
Those roasted beets look good enough to eat on their own! Yum!
They really are! I ate some myself and blended some for baby. She loved them!