Salade de Betteraves
Sliced cooked beetroot dressed with a mustard vinaigrette, shallot and parsley, ready in 15 minutes with no cooking.
Photograph credit: Salade de betterave rouge et pomme by René Hourdry · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Dress it while the beetroot is still a little warm, or at least at room temperature. Cold from the fridge, beetroot is dull and does not take up the dressing, and warm it drinks in the vinaigrette and tastes of the shallot and mustard.
Vacuum-packed cooked beetroot works well and saves an hour. Choose the plain kind, not the pickled one in vinegar. Slice it into rounds or wedges, as you prefer. Make the vinaigrette in the bowl first, with mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and oil, then add the beetroot and toss. Whisking the mustard into the vinegar before the oil goes in produces a thick dressing that clings to the slices.
The finely chopped shallot gives a sharp, fresh note against the earthy sweetness. Parsley adds colour. Leave the salad for 10 minutes before serving, so the flavours meet. Wear an apron, since beetroot juice stains. It is a classic French starter and part of a plate of crudités, and it is good beside cold meat, goat cheese or smoked fish.
The Method for Salade de Betteraves
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Whisk the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl, then whisk in the oil until thick.
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Stir in the shallot.
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Add the beetroot and toss gently to coat.
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Leave for 10 minutes, then scatter over the parsley and serve.
Tips That Matter
- Dress the beetroot while it is at room temperature.
- Whisk the mustard into the vinegar before the oil.
- Leave the salad for 10 minutes before serving.
Pairs Well With
Goat cheese · Cold meats · Smoked fish · Crusty bread
Keeping and Reheating
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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