Last Updated on April 6, 2020 by Iryna
Back home, in Ukraine, beetroot salad with prunes and walnuts was a frequent guest on our holiday table. We would make it with my mom for the New Year celebration, birthday party or other family gatherings.
Here, in Canada, I don’t cook with beetroot very often. And too bad for me, as it contains some healthy stuff in it.
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Health Benefits of Beetroot
Beets are loaded with antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
The reason behind the red color in beets is betacyanin, a plant pigment that might help defend body cells against harmful carcinogens, as per some preliminary research.
British researchers conducted studies and figured out that beet juice mixed with a small portion of apple juice helped athletes to increase endurance and low resting blood pressure when taken before the workout, thanks to nitrates.
Beets are a good source of folate and betaine. These nutrients can help you to fight the risk of heart disease.
They are a great measure against constipation as well. If you make a beetroot salad with prunes as per my recipe, you’ll see positive results.
You will need
2 middle size beetroots
6 tbsp walnuts or pecans, chopped
10 pitted prunes, chopped (or replace with dried cranberries)
4 tbsp sour cream or mayo
salt to taste
2 cloves garlic, pressed (optional)
a few parsley leaves or walnuts for decoration
Directions
1.Put the beetroots into a saucepan and fill it with enough water to cover them. Bring to boil, then switch to simmer.
Boil until beetroots are tender enough to pierce with a knife, approximately 40 mins. I usually turn them over halfway so they are equally soft on both sides.
Drain the water, open the lid for beets to get cool. If you don’t have time to wait until the beets get colled off, run under the cold water.
2.Remove the beetroot’s peels, shred it using the largest setting.
3.Combine and mix shredded beetroots, chopped walnuts and prunes, sour cream, salt in the bowl. Add pressed garlic for a spicy taste.
4.Decorate with parsley leaves or walnuts on top. Enjoy! 🙂
The beauty of this beetroot salad is that you can replace walnuts with pecans, prunes with dried cranberries, add pumpkin seeds or other ingredients as per your personal, main chef’s imagination.
I prefer to use sour cream instead of mayo to get a more mild taste and a bit healthier option. In my last version of this easy and healthy salad, I haven’t used garlic at all.
What do you usually add to your beetroot salad? When was the last time you cooked it? Feel free to share in the comments.
10 COMMENTS
Jasmin
6 years agoOh my goodness, I wish I liked beetroots as this looks and sounds amazing! Perhaps I should give them another go, haha.
Iryna
6 years ago AUTHORIf you try it with mayo it tastes a little bit different. Plus you can always add more prunes and walnuts, or your other favorite add-ons 🙂
Helene
6 years agoI like beets and we usually eat them as a salad. But my sister in law is from Ukraine and I have tasted beets in several different ways, including this recipe.
Iryna
6 years ago AUTHORNice! How do you eat them in a salad, Helene – raw or also cooked?
Rebecca Jones
6 years agoI love beetroot – we eat it roasted with other veg like carrots as a side dish. and pickled with salads. This sounds like a lovely salad so I’ll be trying this soon. thank you 🙂
Iryna
6 years ago AUTHORI hope you’ll like this recipe, Rebecca. I need to do more roasting of the vegetables… thanks for the reminder!
Charlie | The Barefoot Angel
6 years agoI love Beetroot, but so rarely get an opportunity to cook with it! This looks so simple, I need to give it a try! 🙂 Charlie xo
Iryna
6 years ago AUTHORIt is! That’s a good appetizer to surprise your guests 🙂
Beth
6 years agoI’ll have to give this a try! I like eating beet this time of year…so earthy and rich. Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂
Iryna
6 years ago AUTHORYou are very welcome, Beth! I hope you’ll enjoy it 🙂