If you love beets, you’re going to love this easy and delicious beet potato salad! The popular “Vinaigrette” salad is a staple dish in the Eastern European cuisine, especially in Ukraine and Russia. It’s a potato salad that’s loaded with delicious, sweet beets and dill! I love dressing my salad with tasty extra-virgin olive oil and zesty champagne vinegar. Enjoy this salad as a side dish with meats or by itself with some baguette!
You can also find this recipe in my newly released cookbook, Beyond Borscht! This new cookbook features 75 Eastern European recipes from Ukraine and Russia! Get your copy today!
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Preparing the Vegetables
This delicious beet potato salad is made with roasted or boiled potatoes, carrots and beets. Traditionally, the vegetables are boiled in salted water until tender but I love oven-roasting my veggies instead, especially for the beets. They are much heartier and more flavored when oven-roasted, versus boiled.
- For oven-roasting: place the potatoes and carrots onto a large baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Wrap the beets individually in foil so that they cook faster. Roast in the oven between 375F and 425F. They will cook faster at the higher temperature but watch the veggies carefully so they don’t burn. The vegetables need to be fork tender; the beets will take longer!
- For boiling: prepare the potatoes and carrots in one pot and the beets separately. Fill the pots with water, season generously with salt, add the veggies and bring to a simmer. Cook until fork tender, then allow the vegetables to cool before handling!
Dressing the Salad
This Eastern European salad can be dressed two different ways! Both are equally delicious! The most traditional dressing is simply salt, pepper and sunflower oil. You can also use olive oil or avocado oil. For a creamy version, try dressing the salad with a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream. I usually like to do a 3:1 ratio mayonnaise to sour cream. The sour cream adds a little bit of a tart flavor to the salad.
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this delicious Eastern European salad recipe? Check out some of my other recipes from Ukraine and Russia!
- Ukrainian Stewed Beef & Potatoes – this easy and delicious dish is so hearty and warming! A family favorite!
- Classic Beef Borscht – the quintessential Eastern European dish! Always a hit!
- Chicken Rice Pilaf (Plov) – this aromatic rice dish is packed with flavor!
- Easy Meat & Rice Peppers – these stuffed peppers are cooked in a delicious tomato sauce.
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Loved this salad growing up! It’s been so long since I have made it but you make it look so simple! I should give it a try soon!
I grew up in Ukraine and as many other dishes, this salad has different variations in different regions. In my family, we like to add a sour crowd instead of vinegar. Also, I tried it with different oils and sunflower oil suit the best, I think.
Sorry for the typo, I mean Sauerkraut
That sounds delicious! I had another viewer that suggested that and I recently tried it – amazing! 🙂
Hi Tatyana, how do you make the olive oil mayonnaise and sour cream dressing? What is the ratio?
You just thaw the sweet peas? No need to cook them?
Thank you!
Hi Christine! For the dressing, I usually do about 2/3 mayonnaise and 1/3 sour cream. If you like your salad on the creamier side! I thaw mine with boiling water and I find that it’s the perfect amount of heat. You can also use canned peas if you prefer those.
My Russian daughter-in-law makes this delicious salad all the time; she adds diced avocado and boy, is that good! Spasiba. You have a very enjoyable site.
Hi Siri! Thank you! 🙂 I will absolutely have to try this with avocado, what a great addition!