New American · Salads & Sides

Beet Salad for Haters

Beet Salad for Haters w/ Sautéed Beet Greens & Pistachios

Beet Salad for Haters w/ Sautéed Beet Greens & Pistachios

Tested by
Valentiful
Cooked and tested by the Valentiful team

I used to avoid beets in salads. The earthy flavor never quite worked for me. So I started experimenting — and this recipe changed everything. Instead of just tossing beets in dressing, I pulse them in the food processor directly with balsamic, dijon, olive oil, and shallot. The result is a chopped beet salad that's silky, bright, and balanced.


The “dirt” note people associate with beets comes from a compound called geosmin. Blending the beets with the dressing subdues the geosmin and makes the beets taste downright luscious. So if you’ve previously written off beet salads, this is an invitation to give them another chance!


This recipe keeps well in the fridge, so it’s a great one to keep on hand to add to salads and grain bowls throughout the week. I personally love serving it over sautéed beet greens with pistachios and/or feta.

Tastes
Colors
Techniques
DietaryGluten-Free · Vegan · Soy-Free · Nut-Free · Sesame-Free
Yield500 pints chopped beet salad
Serves6 (1/3 cup)
TimeActive 10m · Inactive 30m · Total 40m

Ingredients

450 g Beets
1 Medium Shallotminced

Instructions

STEAM THE BEETS: Steam the beets until tender, then peel. Roughly chop into large pieces. From 4 medium beets, you'll get about 450 g (2 1/2 cups chopped beets).
TO ACCESS THE PREP TUTORIAL FOR STEAMED BEETS: Go to where Beets are listed in the Ingredients and click "Steamed"
MINCE THE SHALLOTS: Peel and slice the shallot. Then run it through the food processor to mince it.
EMULSIFY THE DRESSING: Add the liquid ingredients and run the food processor to emulsify.
PULSE IN THE BEETS TO COMBINE: Add the chopped beets, and pulse the food processor until the beets get blitzed into chunky consistency, scraping down the sides as needed.
SEASON & SERVE: Taste test. Once you're happy with the seasoning, it's ready to serve!
This recipe keeps well in the fridge, so it’s a great one to keep on hand to add to salads and grain bowls throughout the week. I personally love serving it over sautéed beet greens with pistachios and/or feta.
Finished cooking?

Serving & Keeping

Serve: Chilled
Make ahead: This recipe can be made ahead and kept in a sealed container in the fridge to be enjoyed throughout the week.
Surplus Ingredients: Use the greens from the beets to make my Sautéed Beet Greens recipe!
Serve with: Serve on top of Sautéed Beet Greens, Toast, Grain Bowls & Salads