Description
This Russian Beet Salad is a vibrant, creamy dish featuring tender boiled beets tossed in a tangy blend of mayonnaise, sour cream, and aromatic spices. Enhanced with fresh dill and green onions, it offers a refreshing, slightly sweet and savory flavor perfect as a side dish or light appetizer.
Ingredients
Beets
- 5 cups chopped peeled raw beets, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 tsp salt (for boiling the beets)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill fronds
- 4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook Beets: Place the chopped beets in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cook the beets until they are just tender, adding more water if needed during cooking. Drain the beets and chill them in the refrigerator until cold. For faster cooling, optionally rinse the beets with cold water or submerge them in an ice bath.
- Prepare Dressing: In a bowl, blend together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, and celery seed until smooth. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
- Toss Beets with Dressing: Once the beets are cold, gently toss them with the prepared dressing, making sure the beet chunks are evenly coated. The white dressing will take on a lovely pink hue from the beets.
- Add Garnish and Serve: Just before serving, toss the salad with fresh chopped dill and sliced green onions. Add additional fresh cracked black pepper on top if desired for extra flavor.
Notes
- To speed up cooling the cooked beets, rinse them under cold water or place them in an ice bath.
- If using onion salt instead of onion powder, reduce added salt to avoid over-salting.
- This salad can be prepared a few hours ahead and chilled to allow flavors to meld.
- For a lighter version, you can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Russian
