Bold and tangy, Pickled Red Beet Salad is the perfect tasty and nutritious cold side for your next dinner, cookout or holiday gathering!
Before you even say anything, I know.
Not everyone is a beets fan. In fact, there are really only two types of people out there when it comes to beets. You either love them or you hate them, and there's usually not much wiggle room in between.
Trust me, beets in this salad taste amazing--and winning me over was no small feat. This chilled, bold and tangy pickled side dish pairs perfectly with all my favorite grilled favs and my legendary Ham and Swiss Cheese Sliders.
It also makes an excellent addition to the holiday table, along with Cheddar Parmesan Mac and Cheese--especially at Easter and Thanksgiving.
With freshly prepared beets, red peppers and red onions, this amazing beet side dish has the ultimate trifecta of beautiful red produce and flavor. It cooks on the stovetop in a simple brine, which accentuates the flavors--especially when this delish salad can marinate overnight in the fridge.
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👪Why you'll love it
| Amazingly nutritious salad- High in potassium and vitamin C, it's hard for any vegetable to beat a beet (sorry, couldn't resist). When stored and prepared properly, beets have a wonderful robust flavor that's incredibly distinct and delicious (see Beets 101 for more info). Delicious results- I will be honest and tell you here that there is a little bit of work in prepping raw beets (especially if you're a rookie). But once that part is out of the way, it's smooth sailing to a delicious beet salad that looks so pretty at cookouts and tastes absolutely delicious with grilled meat and sandwiches! Keeps well- Because this salad is pickled, it will last up to 1 week in the fridge when properly stored. You can also make this beet salad shelf stable and keep it for 6 months (more on that below). |
🥘Ingredients
For a complete list of ingredients with measurements, see the printable recipe card below
- fresh, raw beets- the tangy star of the salad; you'll want to grab a pair of kitchen gloves to handle them
- red peppers- for a little added sweetness and pep
- red onion- not only does this accentuate the beets and peppers, it looks so pretty
- sugar & white wine vinegar- a basic brine is all you need for this delicious pickled salad
🔪Instructions
For a more detailed set of instructions, see the printable recipe card below
- Wearing gloves, prepare beets; then place into a large cooking pot. Cover beets with water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and cook an additional 20-25 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large mixing bowl. Drain beets in colander, allowing boiled beet water to drain into mixing bowl. Return 4 cups of the drained beet water to the cooking pot (discard any additional water).
- Add the diced peppers and onions in the cooking pot. Then add the sugar and white wine vinegar. Return the pot to the stove and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook until peppers and onions are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer beets from colander to large, empty mixing bowl. Then add the entire contents of the cooking pot (water included) to the large bowl.
- Stir the mixture and allow to cool.
- Once cooled completely, you may can the beet salad and place in a pantry, or chill and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
Hint: Beets do get a little messy when you're peeling and cutting them. Be prepared for that glorious, deep red beet juice! Wear an apron! You may also wish to wear kitchen/latex gloves so your fingernails won't get stained!
📖Variations
Spicy - Add cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce while cooking the brine to add a little heat to this pickled salad
🍽Equipment
- disposable kitchen gloves
- vegetable brush
- vegetable peeler
- cutting board
- santoku or chef's knife
- large pot with lid
- colander
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- mixing spoon or wooden salad spoons
- slotted spoon (for serving)
🍶Storage
Refrigerate, store in an airtight container and enjoy within 1 week.
You may also choose to jar and seal Pickled Red Beet Salad (if choosing this option, be sure to use sterile equipment, let the salad cool completely after it is made, and transfer to jars rather than refrigerating). It will keep on a stable shelf for 6 months.
💭Top Tip
When cooking the beets, make sure they're fork tender. They shouldn't be mushy, but not too hard either. They won't really soften in the salad, so you want to make sure they are cooked well enough before you remove them from the pot.
🧐Beets 101
When you buy beets from the store or vegetable stand, they typically still have their long greens attached. Because they're a root vegetable, they're often dusty and dirty on the outside, much like a potato. In order to prep your raw beets for this salad and for other dishes, follow these helpful tips:
- When you first bring the beets home, trim the top greens off, leaving only one inch of the stalk attached
- Store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator UNSCRUBBED for up to 2 weeks
- When ready to use, gently scrub the outside of the beets with a vegetable brush under running water
- Once relatively clean, pat dry with a paper towel
- Trim off the remaining stalk and end root, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin
- Use a santoku or chef's knife to cut into desired size and shape (for this recipe, we cut beets into 1 inch cubes so they cook faster and are easier to eat)
🥄Related
Looking for other side dish recipes? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve at cookouts with Pickled Red Beet Salad:
📋Recipe
Pickled Red Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups beets skinned and cut into 1-inch squares
- 2 red peppers diced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Before starting: Wear kitchen gloves and prep the beets (refer to Beets 101 in the above post for guidance) Dice the red peppers and onion
- Place the prepared, cut beets into a large cooking pot. Fill the pot with water until beets are just covered. Cover with lid, place on stovetop and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook beets over a gentle boil until tender, usually 20-25 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large mixing bowl. Drain beets in colander, allowing boiled beet water to drain into mixing bowl. Return 4 cups of the drained beet water to the cooking pot (discard leftover water).
- Place the diced peppers and onions in the cooking pot. Add the sugar and white wine vinegar. Return the pot to the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook until peppers and onions are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer beets from colander to large, empty mixing bowl. Then add the entire contents of the cooking pot (water included) to the large bowl.
- Stir the mixture and allow to cool.
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving (this duration helps to chill the salad and blend the flavors further).
- Keep refrigerated. Enjoy within 5 days.
- You may also choose to jar and seal Pickled Red Beet Salad (if choosing this option, let the salad cool completely after it is made, do not refrigerate and then transfer to jars). It will keep on a stable shelf for 6 months.
Barbara K. says
We have always enjoyed cooked beets with dinner. The pickled version is always good too.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Yes! This delicious salad pairs well with so many proteins and looks so pretty on a plate!