A classic four ingredient vegan cold Russian beet salad made with garlic, walnuts and vegan mayo. A perfect wintery side dish that’s ready in 30 minutes. Gluten free and dairy free too. Can be made vegan.
Back in December when catching up with a friend I remember telling her that I felt like my Christmas Holidays would run right into January, with the new year really starting in February for me.
So far January has been a continuation of the party that started at Christmas time. After celebrating my mom’s birthday in New York two weekends ago, I spent a few nights with a friend in Brooklyn, before heading down to Philly for a friend reunion and then a friend’s wedding. Then I drove back up to Boston and had my closest friend staying with me for a few nights.
And now I’m jetting off to Chicago for yet another friend trip. It’s been a busy month.
January has not exactly been detox, get fit friendly. It’s been more of a keep the holiday party spirit going, so I’ve got my sights set on February to get started on all my new year new you goals.
And now that my timeline for completing those goals will be one month shorter than everyone else’s I really better be getting to work in February.
Though getting to work may not be easy, since I’ll also be heading out on another 6 month adventure five days into February. Something tells me though, travel might be less of a distraction for my productivity than friends and family.
When friends and family are involved I seem to lose all sense of a work-life balance (or fitness life balance).
Now I know not everyone is like this, because literally this past weekend after every night of wedding drinking one of my friends got up in the morning and went out for a run. I could not think of anything I wanted to do less in those moments. So naturally, I did not accompany her on the run. I mean I didn’t even bring sneakers or work out wear on the trip.
So here’s to starting off February with maybe a little less friend & family time and little more work and fitness time.
And since I’ll soon be parting ways with my fam, I just had to share this classic Russian beet salad recipe that always makes me think of home.
Beets are highly valued in Russian cooking and seriously undervalued in all other cuisines if you ask me. Us Russians love our beets in soups, salads (see my Russian vinegret salad), main dishes, you name it. And this vegan Russian beet salad is another addition to the beet recipe collection.
What’s in my Russian Beet Salad?
- Beets
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Mayo
- Prunes (optional)
For this Russian beet salad you only need four ingredients – beets, walnuts, garlic and vegan mayo (or regular mayo if you’re not following a vegan diet).
How to make my Russian Beet Salad:
Boil the beets first. To boil beets, without peeling them you need to cover them with cold water in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cooked through and soft when pierced with a fork. This will take about 60 minutes. Then peel them and grate them. And then go scare everyone in the house with your deeply tinted dark reddish hands (this is an optional activity).
To the grated beets add the crushed walnuts (toasted, preferably), minced garlic, minced prunes and mayo.
I have made this salad both with and without the minced prunes and it works well both ways – it is entirely up to you if you want to add them or not. The prunes add a delicate sweetness to the recipe which some people love, others not so much.
Add salt and pepper to taste and your vegan Russian beet salad is ready to go.
Recipe Tips:
- Try not to wear white when you’re grating beets. It won’t end well – I’m speaking from personal experience on that one.
- Toast the walnuts to get the most flavor out of them
- For a Paleo recipe use Primal Kitchen Paleo Mayo
- For a vegan recipe use Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise
- Instead of boiling the beets you can bake them instead
- If the prunes are hard, soak them in boiling water for a couple minutes first
Why this Russian beet salad is the best:
- surprising yet delightful combination of flavors
- perfect fall or winter side dish
- nutritious and filling side
- can be easily adapted to various dietary restrictions
- bright vibrant colors make for wonderful presentation
This is definitely a surprising flavor combination as you might not think beets, walnuts, prunes and garlic go together but they most certainly do. The
So next time you’re looking for an interesting side dish or side salad make this vegan beet salad to surprise all your dinner guests and get all those nutrients in. Beets are high in vitamin C, fiber, and essential minerals like potassium and manganese, so make sure to start incorporating more of them into your diet.
If you’re looking for a more beet recipes instead be sure to check out my Vegan Quinoa Power Bowl with Roasted Veggies, Tahini and Pesto Sauce, and my beet veggie burger.
For other Russian themed recipes be sure to check out my olivier salad.
A classic four ingredient Russian beet salad made with garlic, walnuts and vegan mayo. A perfect wintery side dish.
- 1 and 1/2 cups grated boiled cooked beets 2 beets
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
- 1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise (vegan mayo for vegan version)
- salt/pepper to taste
- 6 prunes minced (optional)
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To boil beets add unpeeled beets to a pot of water, making sure beets are fully submerged. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beets are cooked through and soft when pierced with a fork. This will take about 60 minutes.
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In a large bowl combine grated beets with minced garlic, walnuts, salt/pepper, prunes, and vegan mayo.
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Mix.
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Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve cold.
Alba Culver says
I want recipes friendly for diabetics.
Vicky says
Thanks for letting me know!
Mary says
I know my family will love this!
ELL Teacher says
I teach adult English Language Learners, and yesterday, my Russian student brought this in for me to try and it was the most delicious and amazing thing. I ate it on some gluten free flatbread and though we had some interesting debate about the ingredients “Beets, Mayonnaise, salt, garlic, and neets.” Neets? What could neets be? Crunch crunch, OH NUTS! What kind of nuts? “Greek nuts.” Google greek nuts. Nothing. Taste again. “Walnuts?” “Nyet. Greek nuts.” Walnuts it is. Now I can make it too. Thanks for this recipe!
Vicky says
Haha yes in Russian walnuts are called “Greek nuts”! Glad the mystery is now solved for you!
Tatiana says
I am Russian and make this salad quite frequently (at least 3 times a month). Your recipe is exactly how I make it! Great recipe and great salad!!!!
Vicky says
Thanks! I love this salad : )) Glad to hear you make it the same way!
Lucy says
Do you ever use a pressure cooker for the beets? I can’t tell any difference in flavor or texture, and it’s so much faster.
Vicky says
Great idea to use a pressure cooker – have never used one to cook beets before but need to next time ! I’m sure it’s a huge time saver!
Tatsiana Baravik says
I made this salad with vegan mayonnaise yesterday. Perfect. It reminds me of my childhood, especially my grandmother, who made all these simple recipes, and they were always delicious—the simpler, the tastier.
Vicky says
So happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe. It’s amazing how food can transport us back to time !