Raw Beet Salad

Beet-stained hands are a distinct culinary honor, and this raw beet salad presents you with the opportunity to experience it. Rubber gloves are always an option, and one that Plant & Vine will never judge you for, but purple fingerprints? What glory! Unlike Cheetos or cotton candy, you can trust a fresh beet salad to leave its mark without concern over the artificial something that caused it. All colors in this beet salad recipe are coming right out of the ground, and they remind me how much of the mass-produced colors in our world (crayons, clothes, paints) are actually reproductions of nature’s finest work.

I can see my teenage-self rolling her eyes (“…okay…cool, Kerrie”), so I’ll save the nerdery for my wife, but if this is a mark of middle age or domesticity, I’ll take it. Watching a little purple flash over the keyboard at work makes my day job feel a little less disconnected from what I wish I could do 40 hours a week: experiment with beautiful, simple, nourishing things and encourage others to do the same. So, shall we?

How do you make a raw beet salad?

As the name suggests, raw beet salad doesn’t require you to cook the beets, which reflects the simplicity of this recipe. Just rinse and combine 1/2 cup of quinoa with one cup of water and bring to a gentle boil, cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes. At the same time, boil frozen edamame in a sauce pan and toast pepitas in a skillet,  both for five minutes. From there, peel and finely chop the beets, before assembling all ingredients with a sliced avocado on top. Either make your own dressing (see recipe below) or use your store-bought favorite.

Are raw beets good in salad?

Absolutely. If you don’t trust me, trust the dozens of thousands of people who search for beet salad recipes every month. Truth be told, salads can get boring if you don’t mix things up, and the beets in this salad recipe keep things interesting by adding a crunchy texture and a juicy, earthy flavor.

Is raw beet salad healthy?

It’s hard to find a meal much healthier. Raw beet salad can be prepared many different ways, but this recipe brings in lots of tasty, nutrient-dense superfoods like edamame and avocado. This vegan beet salad also avoids animal products like milk found in cheese or cream-based dressings that can add extra fat to the meal.

What removes beet stains from your hands?

So maybe you’re a hand model or you don’t want to deal with side eye at your corporate gig tomorrow. If soap and water isn’t doing the trick, try lemon juice. You can rub some on or dip your fingers in a shallow bowl. Vinegar also works as a good substitute and it never hurts to add a little salt for texture as needed.

Hungry for more salad recipes? Check out my sweet potato quinoa salad, strawberry spinach salad, black bean corn salad, or kale salad with roasted chickpea croutons for more inspiration. If you make this raw beet salad and sip a glass of wine (see below for pairings), let me know! Leave a comment, rate this recipe, and tag #plantandvine on Instagram (bonus points for beet-stained hands, of course).

Wine pairings for raw beet salad

This raw beet salad has a tangy and earthy flavor that demands a wine with a certain crispness and a pop of acidity. White wines of this style are often a good bet. Here are a few ideas to get you on the right track:

• Pinot Grigio: crisp white wine with flavors of lime, lemon, pear, white nectarine and apple. While Pinto Grigio’s flavor isn’t as intense as a Riesling, it provides a refreshing splash of acidity with each sip.
  • Suggested Regions: Alto Adige, Italy
• Rosé: a dry rosé is a great choice if you want something a little closer to a red wine. It’s clean, refreshing, and elegant, playing nicely on the beet color scheme.
  • Suggested Regions: Provence, France
• Sauvignon Blanc: crisp white wine with flavors of lime, grapefruit, passionfruit, pineapple, lemongrass, and freshly-cut fresh. The natural green flavors of the wine make it a natural on the salad front.
  • Suggested Regions: Marlborough, New Zealand

Interested in learning more about wine pairing? Check out the Plant & Vine wine pairing guide. If you already have a bottle of wine and need some tips on decanting, hop on over to the Plant & Vine wine decanters guide.

Raw Beet Salad

Colorful and nutrient-dense raw beet salad packed with delicious superfoods.

• Author: Plant & Vine
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: Salad
• Method: Tossing
• Cuisine: American, Vegan, Healthy, Salad

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cup frozen edamame
• 1/3 cup pepitas or almonds, toasted
• 2 raw beets, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 3 cups packed baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped
• 1 avocado, cubed

Vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. 1. Prepare the quinoa: rinse quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water. In a medium-sized pot, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes (still covered). Uncover the pot, drain off any excess water, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set aside to cool.
   2. For the edamame: Bring a pot of water to boil, add the frozen edamame, and cook until the edamame is warm, about 3 – 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
   3. To toast the pepitas: In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds or pepitas, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl to cool. The pepitas might make a small hissing sound so don’t feel alarmed if you hear this; the pepitas will cool down and this sound will stop.
   4. To chop the beets and carrots: Finely chop into small sticks (similar to julienned) or grate them on a box grater.
   5. To make the vinaigrette: Whisk together all of the ingredients until mixed.
   6. To make the salad: In your large serving bowl, combine the pepitas, edamame, chopped beets and carrots, spinach, cubed avocado, and cooked quinoa.
   7. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, starting with about half of the dressing and adding more until desired level is reached, and toss to combine. You might not need all of the dressing. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
   8. Store all components separately in covered containers in refrigerator. When making leftovers, combine all ingredients and toss with dressing.

Notes

*Recipe is a guide. Adapt as desired. Adapted from Cookie & Kate’s Colorful Beet Salad.

Keywords: beet salad, healthy beet salad, colorful beet salad, raw beet salad