Polish raw beet salad is made using a handful of pantry ingredients and comes together in minutes. It's full of flavour, colour and nutritious ingredients, simple to make and perfect to serve with fish, meat as well as other vegetarian dishes.
In Poland raw beet salad is considered a type of 'surowka', which typically means a salad that's made with shredded raw vegetables (sauerkraut salad is another example). These salads are an essential component of traditional Polish-style dinners. They are extremely quick and easy to make using practically endless flavour combinations.
Beetroot is a super nutritious vegetable, especially in its raw form (some nutrients can be lost during cooking). It is also a very tough vegetable so the best way of serving it raw is by shredding it and combining with other ingredients to tone down its earthy flavour. Which is exactly what I have done in this beet slaw.
Raw beet salad ingredients
The bulk of the salad make the beets, carrots, apple and onion. The garnish consists of parsley (for freshness) and sunflower seeds (for crunch). The salad is coated in a 4-ingredient dressing consisting of vegetable oil, lemon juice, honey and mustard which brings all the flavours together.
Raw beet salad ingredients.
Substitutions
- Honey is the most commonly used sweetener in Polish salad recipes but you can use maple syrup or agave syrup instead and enjoy it vegan.
- Parsley can be replaced by dill or chives (or use a combination of herbs).
- Sunflower seeds: pumpkin seeds make a good substitute in this raw beetroot slaw.
How to prepare the ingredients
The quickest way of preparing this salad is by shredding the beets, carrots and apple in a food processor (using a grating disc). I do not recommend using a box grater - not only will it be a drawn out affair, but your vegetables won't be as crispy and you might end up with a soggy salad.
Should I peel the ingredients
It's absolutely fine to use the carrots and apple unpeeled, but I recommend peeling the beets. Raw beets are quite earthy and leaving the skin on might intensify this and overpower the overall flavour.
Assembling the recipe
1.Prepare the dressing by placing the ingredients in a small bowl and stirring until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
2. Shred the beets, carrots and apple in the food processor (using the grating disc).
3. Transfer into a large bowl (without the juice which may have collected at the bottom of the food processor bowl), add the sliced onion, chopped parsley and pour over the dressing.
4. Stir thoroughly, season to taste, scatter over the sunflower seeds and refrigerate your raw beetroot salad for 30 minutes before serving (if possible).
Serving suggestions
Raw beet salad is typically served with fish, chicken, turkey (see turkey patties) or pork dishes, often alongside mashed potatoes, but it also goes well with sandwiches or vegetable patties.
Top tips and FAQs
- I recommend preparing the ingredients just before assembling the salad (so they are fresh and crunchy).
- I do not recommend grating the vegetables by hand. Use a food processor for a super crunchy.
- Use a sweet, rather than sour apple variety.
- Transfer the shredded beets, carrots and apple from the food processor into a bowl without the juice (which may have collected in the food processor).
- Best served chilled. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, if possible.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Related recipes
Keep in touch!
If you make this raw beet salad I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Did you make any swaps? What did you serve it with? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Shredded Raw Beet Salad (Polish Recipe)
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets peeled
- 2 small carrots or 1 medium/large
- 1 apple cored
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- Fine sea salt and pepper to taste
For the Dressing:
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by placing the ingredients in a small bowl and stirring until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Shred the beets, carrots and apple in a food processor (use the grating disc).
- Transfer into a large bowl (without the juice that may have collected in your food processor bowl), add the sliced onion, chopped parsley and pour over the dressing.
- Stir thoroughly, season to taste, scatter over the sunflower seeds and refrigerate your raw beetroot salad for 30 minutes before serving (if possible).
Notes
- I recommend preparing the ingredients just before assembling the salad (so they are fresh and crunchy).
- I do not recommend grating the vegetables by hand. Use a food processor for a super crunchy.
- Use a sweet, rather than sour apple variety.
- Make it vegan by using maple syrup or agave syrup instead of honey.
- Parsley can be replaced by dill or chives (or use a combination of herbs).
- Pumpkin seeds make a good substitute for sunflower seeds.
- Transfer the shredded beets, carrots and apple from the food processor into a bowl without the juice (which may have collected in the food processor).
- Best served chilled. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, if possible.Â
- Serve with fish, chicken or turkey, sandwiches or potato patties.
- Not suitable for freezing.
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.
Very nice and simple recipe ROASTED BEETROOT SPICED CHICKPEA ZOODLE SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING I tried it and it came out superb...thanx
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Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it:)
I love this healthy salad! It is so pretty, healthy and very doable, thanks for sharing 8)
Thank you! Glad you like it:)
Beautiful salad!
Thank you Petra:)
Oh my Monika, what a colourful and absolutely delicious looking salad. I have some beetroot from my allotment but have run out of tahini otherwise I would be making it for lunch. I'm going to pin for later though.
Thank you Jacqui! My family liked it so much I am making it again today, hope you like it too if you do make it:)
I am on this like white on rice Monika! Just what I need to get me through these hot steamy evenings. Nice glass of Rose with this. And gorgeous photo!
Thank you Jaxx! I only wish our evenings here in Manchester, UK were a little bit steamy too! Or at least warm and dry enough to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine.
Oh wow yes please! I want this for my lunch right now! This looks amazing. I definitely need to have a go at the one. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Thank you Kirsty! Glad you like it:)
Oh yummy! Another gorgeous healthy recipe. I really like spiced chickpeas done like this and they make a great addition to a salad!
Thank you Corina! My kids liked it too, which is so surprising and great:)
What a masterpiece! I love every part of it. 🙂
Thank you! Glad you like the recipe:)
That looks like such a delicious dish. I have a half used jar of tahini so I am keen to give your dressing a try. #CookBlogShare
Thank you! It's very simple, hope you like it:)
wow! that plate of food looks so pretty, colourful and delicious! I could happily tuck into it that for lunch. x
Thank you! It was really good, even the kids liked it:)
Love how colourful this is, anything with beetroot in is always welcome in my kitchen!
Thank you! I feel the same way about beetroot:)