This delicious Polish-style beet potato salad is easy to make and perfect for sharing. It's nutritious, zesty, full of colour and made using a moderate amount of fat. If you prepare the beets and potatoes ahead this salad comes together in minutes.
Check out also traditional Polish potato salad recipe!
Poles love potatoes as well as beets and they also love to make food that's great for sharing and this beet potato salad reflects all these sentiments. It also contains dill pickles, another extremely popular ingredient in Polish cuisine. They work really well with mellow potato and earthy beetroot giving this salad an unmistakable Polish character.
Beet potato salad ingredients
- Beets: I used small beets as they cook faster.
- Potatoes: Use waxy potatoes such as baby or new potatoes, red potatoes, fingerling or Alexandra potatoes.
- Apple: I recommend using a sweet variety (such as Pink Lady for example) to balance out the tangy flavour of the pickles.
- Dill pickles/pickled gherkins: These can be marinated either in vinegar (these are sold in all supermarkets and this is also the type I used) or traditional Polish dill pickles in natural brine (sold in Polish stores).
- Red onion: Adds crunch and freshness.
- Mayonnaise: I used it for more depth of flavour and creaminess.
- Yogurt: Adds creaminess but without too many calories.
- Mustard: Improves the flavour of this potato beetroot salad.
- Lemon juice: Adds zest.
- Parsley: Adds freshness.
Polish beet potato salad ingredients.
How to prepare the beets
To get the most flavour out of the beetroot I decided to roast it whole. This is easy to do and can be done in advance. To roast the beets preheat the oven to 200 C, place the beets on top of a baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes until tender but still have some crunch (check with a fork). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before peeling and making this beetroot potato salad recipe.
Top tip
You can, but don't need to, roast the beets wrapped in tin foil.
Can I boil the beets
You can if that's the method you prefer. As with roasting it is important to also boil the beets whole, unpeeled (so they retain as much flavour and colour as possible).
Top tip
I do not recommend buying ready-to-eat beets. They tend to be overcooked and a little flavourless.
How to prepare the potatoes
The easiest way of preparing the potatoes for this potato and beet salad is by boiling them whole. Boil until fully cooked but don't let them cook until the peel starts to split (this means they are overcooked). Drain as soon as they are cooked (check with a fork) and set aside to cool completely before making the salad.
Do I have to peel the vegetables
No, but peeling them yields better results. Boiled potatoes are very easy to peel and if you chop them unpeeled some of the skin is likely to come off anyway as you stir the ingredients together. Whole roasted beetroot is delicious but the skin around it can become a little dry and tough so it's best to remove it.
Assembling the recipe
Once you've boiled the potatoes, roasted the beets and cooled both completely you can assemble this beet and potato salad.
1. Peel and dice the potatoes and beets, then core and finely dice the apple. Place in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
2. Stir thoroughly, adjust the seasoning if needed and refrigerate your beet salad with potatoes for 30 minutes (if possible) before serving.
Serving suggestions
This potato salad with beets is the perfect dish for a potluck party. It is delicious on its own, with a slice of bread (in Poland bread is served with most dishes), alongside fish, chicken or turkey dishes.
Top tips
- You can cook both the beets as well as the potatoes in advance and once cooled refrigerate (overnight), covered, unpeeled, until you are ready to make the salad. Peel and chop when you are ready to assemble the recipe.
- I recommend using a sweet rather than sour apple variety (Pink Lady is a good choice).
- Prepare the apple just before adding into the salad as it's prone to discoloration. You can but don't need to peel it.
- Tweak the ingredients to your taste: for example use more mustard, lemon juice etc.
- Best served the day it was made. You can keep this salad refrigerated for up to 6 hours.
- If possible chill this potato beet salad for 30 minutes before serving.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- I recommend wearing rubber gloves when handling the beetroot.
Substitutions
- Parsley: You can use fresh dill in addition to or instead of the parsley (use 1 tablespoon or to taste).
- Yogurt: Use natural or Greek yogurt, Skyr or fromage frais/fromage blanc.
- Oil: I used olive oil but vegetable oil will work equally well.
Related recipes
- Creamy Potato Salad with Dill (Healthy)
- Canned Salmon Potato Salad with Dill Dressing
- Beetroot Chickpea Salad with Zoodles & Tahini
- Polish Cold Beet Salad
- Potato Salad Deviled Eggs (No Mayo)
Keep in touch!
If you make this beet potato salad I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Polish-Style Beet Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 450 g beets unpeeled
- 450 g potato unpeeled, use waxy potatoes, see *Notes
- 100 g dill pickles/pickled gherkins finely chopped, see **Notes
- 1 apple sweet variety
- 1 red onion small, finely chopped
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp yogurt natural, Greek or Skyr/fromage frais
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 5 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes, unpeeled, until fully cooked but don't let them cook until the peel starts to split (this means they are overcooked). Drain as soon as they are cooked (check with a fork) and set aside to cool completely before making the salad.
- While the potatoes are boiling prepare the beets. Place the beets on top of a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven at 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6 for about 40-45 minutes or until moderately tender (check with a fork). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
- Peel and dice the potatoes and beets, then core and finely dice the apple. Place in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir thoroughly, adjust the seasoning if needed and refrigerate for 30 minutes (if possible) before serving.
Notes
- You can cook both the beets as well as the potatoes in advance and once cooled refrigerate (overnight), covered, unpeeled, until you are ready to make the salad. Peel and chop when you are ready to assemble the recipe.
- *Use waxy potatoes such as baby or new potatoes, red potatoes, fingerling or Alexandra potatoes.Â
- **Dill pickles/pickled gherkins: These can be marinated either in vinegar (these are sold in all supermarkets and this is also the type I used) or traditional Polish dill pickles in natural brine (sold in Polish stores).
- I recommend using a sweet rather than sour apple variety (Pink Lady is a good choice).
- Prepare the apple just before adding into the salad as it's prone to discoloration. You can but don't need to peel it.
- Tweak the ingredients to your taste: for example use more mustard, lemon juice etc.
- Best served the day it was made. You can keep this salad refrigerated for up to 6 hours.
- If possible chill this potato beet salad for 30 minutes before serving.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- I recommend wearing rubber gloves when handling the beetroot.
- You can use fresh dill in addition to or instead of the parsley (use 1 tablespoon or to taste).
- Use natural or Greek yogurt, Skyr or fromage frais/fromage blanc.
- I used olive oil but vegetable oil will work equally well.
- Preparation time includes cooking and cooling the beetroot and potatoes.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
What a salad - I love it! You are always so inventive - both with your flavour combinations and your presentation. This is so pretty and I just know it will taste amazing! Eb x
Thank you Eb, you are very kind, but it's easy to cook something tasty if you've got amazing ingredients such as beetroot:)
Oh Monica what a lovely fresh colourful looking salad. I'm definitely going to be making that one and have pinned to my boards to make sure I dont forget. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thank you Jacqui!
Ooh yummy, I have a couple of fresh beetroots to hand - I can hear this lovely salad calling!
Angela x
Thanks Angela! There are so many ways to enjoy beetroot, hope you like it if you do make it:)
It looks gorgeous and so colourful! I'll have to give it a go.
Thank you! I am glad you like this idea:)
What a delicious and colourful salad. Can't wait for my beetroot to be ready and make this salad. x
Thank you Sarah! Hope you like it:)