Polish Cold Beet Salad

This cold beet salad is a classic Polish dish, easy to make and packed full of flavour. It's sweet, sharp and zesty, made using just 4 ingredients plus a simple dressing.  If you prepare the beetroot ahead this delicious salad can be put together in minutes.

Check out also Polish-style beet and potato salad and Polish shredded beets!

This cold beetroot salad contains ingredients most Polish households tend to have regardless of the season.  Beetroot is a staple, a vegetable Polish cuisine cannot do without, apple is arguably the most popular fruit, and absolutely everyone has always got a jar of dill pickles (often homemade) in their pantry.  Throw in a little onion, drizzle with lemon juice and oil and you've got a delicious, healthy salad everyone will love.  It's great with chicken, fish, perfect if you are cooking a family friendly dinner or entertaining guests.

Cold beet salad ingredients

The beets should be boiled unpeeled, whole, for a more intense flavour and colour.  I used Polish dill pickles (in a natural brine), which are salty, tangy, with a subtle garlic and dill flavour, delicious with the beetroot. (Check out also my dill pickle soup recipe). If you can't get these pickles use gherkins pickled in vinegar.  Your salad will have a slightly different flavour but it will still be delicious.

I recommend using a sweet rather than sour apple to offset the sourness of the pickles and add natural sweetness into this cold beet salad.

What other ingredients can be used

You could add a little dill and/parsley (if you are using pickles in vinegar), horseradish sauce, lemon zest or vinegar (instead of or in addition to the lemon juice, though use it sparingly).  You could also add more vegetables into the mixture, such as grated carrot, finely chopped fennel or cabbage.  

Serving suggestions

This cold beet salad can be served with shallow fried or roast chicken or turkey (try it with turkey potato patties), fish cakes and mashed potatoes. For a vegetarian meal idea try serving it with cauliflower patties.

Assembling the recipe

1.Boil the beets whole, unpeeled for about 30 minutes or until softened (they should still have some crunch).  Drain and set the beets aside to cool for 15 minutes then peel and coarsely grate them.

2. As you are waiting for the beets to cool prepare the rest of the ingredients. Coarsely grate the dill pickles and finely chop the onion. Just before peeling and grating the beets grate the apple (it will darken if you prepare it earlier). Place all the ingredients in a bowl.

3. Add the oil and lemon juice and stir thoroughly.  Adjust the seasoning and chill for 30 minutes before serving, if possible.

Top tips and FAQs

• Try not to overcook the beets, they should still have some crunch. The exact cooking time depends on the size of your beets and personal preference.
• I recommend using dill pickles, which are cucumbers pickled in a natural brine with added herbs. Any Polish delicatessen should sell these.  If you can't get dill pickles use pickled gherkins (these are pickled in vinegar). 
• Make ahead: To save time I recommend cooking the beets ahead.  Cooked, unpeeled beetroot can be kept in the fridge (covered) for up to 3 days.  Peel it when you are ready to make the salad.
• Chill for 30 minutes before serving if possible.
• This salad can be refrigerated for 2-3 hours.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Other Polish salads you might like

• My Mum's Polish Potato Salad (Jarzynowa)
• Polish Sauerkraut Salad with Carrot & Apple
• Polish Cucumber Salad (Mizeria) 2 Ways
• Herring Salad Polish-Style (Salatka ze Sledzia)

Check out also Polish horseradish beets!

Keep in touch!

If you make this cold beet slaw I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What type of pickles did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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