This pickled beet salad features layers of crisp greens, tender broccoli, and tangy pickled beets, all coated in an orange-balsamic vinaigrette. It’s a vibrant, colorful side dish that adds a burst of flavor to any fall or winter meal.
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Beets are such an underrated vegetable. Not only are they super nutritious, and packed with several key nutrients (including folate, manganese, and copper), but they can also be incredibly delicious when prepared the right way.
This pickled beet salad uses quick-pickled beets for maximum flavor and nutrition with minimum effort. They take just 10 minutes to prep and can last in your fridge for weeks.
You can serve this salad as a refreshing side or a colorful main course with your favorite proteins and grains!
For more recipes with beets, check out my easy beet pasta and vegan pink beet pancakes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Red beets: You can use either raw or boiled beets, depending on whether you like your pickled beets to be crunchy or tender. For a quicker option, you can also use pre-cooked beets from the grocery store.
- Apple cider vinegar: For pickling the beets. White vinegar can also work here.
- Maple syrup: You’ll need it for both pickling the beets and making the balsamic vinaigrette for the salad. You can use agave syrup or regular sugar instead.
- Whole peppercorns: I like to add these to the pickling liquid for the beets to infuse a subtle, spicy warmth.
- Balsamic vinegar: This will make the bulk of the salad dressing, so make sure to use a high-quality one.
- Broccoli: While you can eat it raw, for added crunch and nutrition I suggest lightly steaming or roasting the broccoli before tossing it into the salad. Boiling is also an option. Here’s how to boil broccoli.
- Mixed greens: Use your favorite bag of mixed greens or use half arugula and half baby spinach.
- Red onion: I love adding red onion or shallots to my salads to give them a spicy kick.
- Walnuts: For adding crunch and healthy fats to the salad. You can substitute them with other nuts such as pecans or almonds, or for a nut-free option use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Orange juice: Adds a tangy sweetness to the balsamic vinaigrette.
- Dijon mustard: I like the pungent flavor of Dijon mustard, but yellow mustard can also work.
- Salt and black pepper: For seasoning both the broccoli salad and the pickled beets.
For exact measurements and details, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Quick Pickle Beets
Step 1: To a small saucepan, add the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Slice the beets into small pieces and add them to a jar alongside the peppercorns. Pour the pickling mixture over them and let cool to room temperature. Then, store in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight to pickle.
How to Make Pickled Beet Salad
Step 1: Once the beets are pickled, prepare the salad dressing. Start by adding all of the ingredients to a small bowl.
Step 2: Whisk to emulsify the vinaigrette.
Step 3: Make the salad by adding all of the ingredients except for the beets to a large bowl.
Step 4: Pour the vinaigrette all over and give everything a good mix until well coated.
Step 5: Add the pickled beets to the salad and give it one last gentle mix.
Step 6: Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or black pepper to taste. Serve immediately for maximum freshness!
Expert Tips
- Thinly slice the beets for best results. This ensures they absorb the pickling brine more quickly and evenly, giving you well-flavored and tender pickled beets.
- Don’t have time to pickle your beets? Use pre-pickled beets from the grocery store for a quick and easy meal.
- Add your favorite add-ins like vegan burrata cheese or vegan feta, avocado cubes, apple slices, or capers. The best part about this recipe is that it’s super versatile.
- Want to make this a complete meal? Just like in my ancient grains salad, I like to add cooked grains like quinoa to make it more satisfying. A cup of chickpeas or my crispy air fryer tofu would also be a perfect addition.
FAQ’s
No, this salad is best served fresh as the green tends to wilt and get soggy after marinating for too long in the dressing.
Yes, it’s perfectly fine to eat raw beets, whether they’re fresh or pickled.
Yes! Pickled beets are a good source of iron, potassium, and calcium, as well as probiotics from the apple cider vinegar. The vinegar used to pickle the beets can also help reduce blood sugar spikes after a meal.
However, pickled beets can be high in sodium because of the pickling mixture they marinate in, so they might not be great for people looking to lower their sodium consumption.
Yes, but keep in mind that they bleed more so they will probably make your salad red. Also, they tend to be more watery so they may water down your salad.
Make sure to read the ingredients label as many canned beets contain preservatives.
Roasting your beets makes them sweeter and gets rid of that earthy flavor. If you don’t like the taste of raw beets, feel free to use roasted ones instead.
Preheat your oven to 390F (200C). Wash and peel your beets, then wrap each in aluminum foil, add them to a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Your roasted beets are ready when they’re fork-tender. Let cool to room temperature before pickling.
Serving Suggestions
I love to pair this pickled beet salad with a high-protein main dish like my vegan seitan steak, crispy tofu chicken, or my Just Egg quiche.
You can also serve it as a side dish next to chickpea patties, vegan coconut shrimp, or easy beet pasta.
It’s even great for the holiday season served alongside vegan lentil loaf, lentil shepherd’s pie, and dairy-free green bean casserole.
How to Store
You can pickle and store the beets in the fridge for up to 6 weeks and sometimes even longer.
You can also make the vinaigrette up to 1 week in advance. Just make sure to shake it well before dressing your salad.
However, the salad is best served right after making. It can last a maximum of 24 hours when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
This salad is not freezer-friendly.
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Pickled Beet Salad
Ingredients
For the pickled beets:
- 2 medium beets peeled and thinly sliced (boiled for 20 minutes or raw if you prefer crunchier beets)
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Salad:
- 2 cups broccoli florets cooked or raw, see notes
- 6 cups mixed greens packed
- ¼ cup red onion sliced
- ½ cup walnuts chopped, or slivered almonds (optional)
Dressing:
- ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup more to taste
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- dash of black pepper
Instructions
- Start by pickling the beets. In a small saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, maple syrup, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced beets and peppercorns to a glass jar or container, then pour the hot pickling liquid over them, ensuring the beets are fully submerged. Allow the beets to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to pickle.
- Once the beets are pickled, prepare the salad. In a large bowl, combine the mixed greens, cooked broccoli florets, sliced red onion, and walnuts (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Finally, add the pickled beets to the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve the pickled beet and broccoli salad immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy this vibrant and flavorful vegan dish as a refreshing side salad or light main course!
