A refreshing and easy vegan beetroot salad with walnuts using boiled beetroots tossed through fresh herbs, balsamic dressing and toasted walnuts
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😋Why you’ll love this recipe
- This vegan beetroot salad will complement most lunch or dinner tables
- Relatively easy to make using minimal ingredients needed
- Refreshing flavors
- Suits a variety of diets - vegan and gluten-free.
✔️Ingredients You’ll Need
Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Fresh beetroot is absolutely divine. It tastes one thousand times better to the canned variety. It’s lighter in taste and isn’t as soft/mushy. These will be boiled. See instructions below.
If you can’t get your hands on the fresh variety, use an organic canned variety. You may need to rinse them.
Scallions (spring onions) and parsley (either curly or flat leaf is fine) are fresh and finely sliced
Walnuts are coarsely chopped and then dry toasted to intensify their flavoring. These add a nice crunch.
Vegan Balsamic dressing
Balsamic vinegar - creates a balance between the salt and sweetness of this salad. It intensifies the flavoring. Use an organic brand (affiliate link)
Extra virgin olive oil has the best flavoring for salads. If you are on an oil-free diet, leave this out.
Crushed garlic, salt and black pepper for flavoring. You can add as much of these as you like.
🥗How to Make Vegan Beetroot Salad with Walnuts
Step 1 - Wash fresh and scrub beetroot bulbs well to rid of any dirt. Trim off the leaves and stalks without cutting into the bulb. Do not trim/cut root off (see photos) The beetroot bulb should stay intact to stop the color from leaching out.
Step 2 - Bring water to a boil and add whole beetroot with skin on. Cook until a knife is able to prick into each bulb. Approximtely 20-40 minutes depending on the size of the bulbs. Once cooked, place cooked bulbs into a bowl of cold water and rub off the skin (see notes), chop skinless bulbs into bite sized chunks.
Step 3 - Whilst beets are cooking, heat up a non-stick pan and dry toast walnuts until golden. Set aside.
Step 4 - Whisk balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic together to make the dressing.
Step 5 - In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well coated in dressing. Serve this vegan beetroot salad with walnuts cold.
🥗Variations
Roasted beetroots can be used instead of boiled. N.B., roasting takes longer to prepare.
Balsamic vinegar can be swapped with pomegranate molasses, which is sweet and sour in flavor.
Make it substantial - you can toss through some chickpea pasta (affiliate link) through this salad to make it a main meal. I say chickpea pasta because it is high in protein.
Walnuts - if needed, these can be swapped out for your favorite nut, try toasting almond, pecan, pine nuts or macadamia.
Add more greens - the peppery flavoring of roquette (arugula) will work fabulously.
🌟Pro Tips
Beetroots should be cooled before tossing through all other ingredients. They can be boiled in advance allowing them to cool down to room temperature. Or prepared the day before, stored in the refrigerator.
Beetroot leaves - these are edible and can be used in soups, sautéed or made into beetroot leaf chips. Try this healthy sauteed beetroot leaves recipe.
Gloves - beetroot will stain hands and fingernails. Use a pair of clean gloves when handling, otherwise, the stains normally subside within 24hrs.
Storage - this beetroot salad is best eaten straight away as the greens and walnuts will absorb the coloring of the beets and may not be aesthetically pleasing, however it can be stored overnight in the refrigerator if there are left-overs.
❓FAQ
The time it takes to boil beetroot will depend on the size per beetroot. Small beets can take around approximately 20 minutes whilst large beetroots can take 40 minutes. Beetroots are cooked when a knife can easily pierce through.
🥗Related recipes
Try making my healthy beetroot chips
More side salads? Try this Lebanese butter bean salad or my spicy potatoes called batata harra
Or something a little more substantial yet light; glass noodle salad
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Vegan Beetroot Salad with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 3 large Beetroots leaves trimmed off, washed and scrubbed
- 2 sprigs Scallion (spring onions) finely sliced
- ½ cup Walnuts roughly chopped and dry pan toasted
- 1 handful Parsley fine chopped
- 1 clove Garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar substitute with pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper to taste
- 6 cups Water enough to boil beets in
Instructions
- Wash fresh beetroot well to rid of any dirt. Trim off the beetroot leaves and stalks without cutting into the beetroot bulb. Do not trim/cut root off (see photos) The beetroot bulb should stay intact to stop the color from leaching out3 large Beetroots
- Bring water to a boil and add whole beetroot with skin on. Cook until a knife is able to prick into each beetroot. Approximtely 20-40 minutes depending on the size of the bulbs. Once cooked, place cooked beetroot into a bowl of cold water and rub off the skin (see notes), chop skinless beetroot into bite sized chunks6 cups Water
- Whisk balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic together to make the dressing1 clove Garlic, 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Olive oil, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- In a salad bowl, combine all ingredients until well coated in dressing. Serve cold2 sprigs Scallion, ½ cup Walnuts, 1 handful Parsley
Video
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
Kathleen
Very yummy, I added one tsp of sugar.
Janelle
That would be really nice Kathleen, so glad you found it yum
J 🙂
Jan
I love the toasted walnuts. The flavor of them against the walnuts is amazing. I also love the little amount of dressing needed.
Joy Reeves
I was pining for something good and different to eat. Now I know what that will be. Yummy
Thankyou
Janelle
It's a wonderful simple beetroot salad. Any time Joy 🙂