Marinated Beetroot Salad with Red Onions

A simple and flavourful Marinated Beetroot Salad with Red Onions. The beauty of this salad other than its vibrant, bold colour and delicious taste is that the longer you let it sit, the more the flavours are developed. This beetroot salad is tender, crisp, has a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness and is totally irresistible!! An incredible salad that will stand out on the dinner table.

Beetroot is a root vegetable which is classified as a superfood because of its nutritional benefits. Because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties its nutrient profile is very strong. They are also high in Vitamin C and fibre and rich in minerals such as potassium and manganese.

Beetroots usually come in three main varieties: Red, candy and yellow. they will always vary in size. Deep red, earthy beetroot adds depth to salads and is a great meat-free alternative for vegetarians and vegans.

This salad can be made using any variety of beetroot, though I prefer using the deep purple because of it vibrant colour which adds that extra ‘presence’ to any meal. The raw beetroots are cooked and then tossed with garlic, fresh herbs and a white balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing which brings it all together.

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Different Methods of Cooking Beetroot:

There are a few different ways of cooking beets – steaming , boiling or roasting. My go-to-method for cooking beets is to steam them. But before cooking the beets you need to prepare them:

• If you have bought beets with the greens still attached, chop off the greens, leaving approximately 1″ of th green intact. Do not slice through the beetroot. You can reserve the leafy greens for later use.
• Beetroots have a lot of mud on them so always scrub your beets. Use a vegetable scrubber if you have one.

1) Boiled Beets

Boiling is the easiest no-fail method to getting perfect beets every time. Add the cleaned beets to a large pot and cover with water, approximately 1-2″ above the beets. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Now cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the beet till fork tender. It should take between 35-60 minutes depending upon the size of your beets.

Immediately transfer beets to an ice water bath to prevent any additional cooking and allow them to cool faster. As soon as they are cool, peel the skin right off! Give them a final rinse and enjoy your silky smooth perfect boiled beets!

2) Steamed Beets

Steaming is my go-to method, it is very similar to boiling beets. However, unlike boiling, the beets are not fully submerged in the water which prevents nutrients from escaping into the surrounding water.

Grab your steamer set if you have one,or take a large pot and insert your steamer basket. Fill with water, just below the steamer basket as you want the steam to circulate under and around the beets as they cook. Add the prepared beets to your pot and cover with a tight-fitting lid (key for this to work). Bring water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow beets to steam until fork tender. Takes roughly about 35-45 minutes depending upon the size of your beets. Carefully remove beets from the pot and allow them to cool before peeling away the skin.

3) Roasted Beets

Most commonly used method and the best method to lock in the flavour of beets – there is no doubt that roasting beets are yet another easy way to cook these amazing vegetables. To roast beets set your oven temperature to 215ºC. To the prepared beets drizzle olive oil, and wrap in foil. Transfer the beets to a large baking sheet and allow them to roast until tender, approximately 45-60 minutes. Remove beets from the oven, carefully remove foil, and allow your beets to cool before peeling away the skin. 

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Ingredients Needed to Make Marinated Beetroot Salad with Red Onions:

• Fresh beetroot are absolutely divine. They tastes so much better to the canned variety. They are lighter in taste and have a perfect texture.
• Garlic
• Red Onion
• Parsley
• Dill leaves
• Olive Oil
• White balsamic vinegar
• Maple syrup
• Salt and Pepper

How to Make Marinated Beetroot Salad with Red Onions

Step 1 – Wash and scrub beetroot well to rid of any dirt. Trim off the leaves and stalks without cutting into the bulb. Do not trim/cut root off. The beetroot bulb should stay intact to stop the colour from bleeding out.

Step 2 – Steam the beetroot in a steamer pan until a knife is able to prick into each bulb. Remove and cool a bit.

Step 3 – Whilst beets are cooking, in a small bowl add the oil, sliced onions, minced garlic, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup salt and pepper. Mix well and keep aside.

Step 4 – Peel the beets while still warm – they should easily peel. If not, use a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets into quarters and put them in a large bowl. Add the prepared dressing and dill leaves. Mix well and cover. Let it sit for 4-5 hours or overnight in a refrigerator.

Step 5 – Remove the beets in large salad bowl, sprinkle with parsley. Top with crumbled feta. Serve.

Helpful Tips and Tricks to make Beetroot Salad:

• Usually in London beets are sold in bunches making it difficult to choose uniformed-size beets. If you are buying them loose try and select uniform size as it makes it easy to cook.
• To make sure the beets are done ensure a sharp knife can be easily inserted to their centre. If not, you may need to cook them for few more minutes.
• No matter the cooking method, peel the beets while very warm as the skins should easily slide off. Doing this under running water can be helpful or you can peel with a vegetable peeler.
• The roasting temperature and cooking time is only a guideline.You can easily cook the beets alongside other foods at higher or lower temperatures – just allow extra cooking time for lower temperature and keep an eye on the beets at higher temperature.
• If you can’t find or don’t have white balsamic vinegar handy, you can substitute with 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar.
• The beetroot tastes best when marinated overnight but you can use them with 4-6 hours of marination as well.
• You can make them at least 2-3 days in advance. They stay well in a refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Some More Beetroot Recipes:

1. Golden Beetroot Salad with Whipped Feta
2. Beetroot Cutlets
3. Persian Beetroot and Yoghurt Borani
4. Quinoa and Marinated Beet Salad with Classic Vinaigrette

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Marinated Beetroot Salad With Red Onions

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 6 voted )

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Ingredients

• 500 grams beetroot
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 2 sprigs dill
• 1/2 tsp sea salt crystals
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp parsley, roughly torn

method

1. Separate the beetroot from the stems and leaves. Rinse them well making sure that you remove all the dirt.
2. Place the beets in a double boiler fitted with a steaming pot. Bring the water beneath to a boil and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until the beetroots are tender. Remove from the heat and cool.
3. In the meantime, in a small bowl add the oil, sliced onions, minced garlic, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup salt and pepper. Mix well and keep aside.
4. Peel the beets, they should easily peel. If not, use a vegetable peeler.
5. Cut them into quarters and put them in a large bowl. Add the dressing and dill. Mix well and cover and let it sit for 4-5 hours or overnight in a refrigerator and let the beets marinate. 
6. Remove in a salad bowl and sprinkle with parsley.

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