Raw Beet Salad

 

Raw Beet Salad
Author: Mark Bittman
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Beets, like carrots, can be eaten raw. And they’re delicious that way, crunchy and sweet. So sweet, in fact, that they need a strongly acidic dressing like this one for balance.
Ingredients
  • 1 to 11/2 pounds beets, preferably small
  • 2 large shallots
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sherry or other good strong vinegar
  • 1 sprig fresh tarragon, minced, if available
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
  1. Peel the beets and shallots. Combine them in a food processor and pulse carefully until the beets are shredded; do not purée. (Or grate the beets by hand and mince the shallots, then combine.) Scrape into a bowl.
  2. Toss with the salt, pepper, mustard, oil and vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Toss in the herbs and serve.
Notes
Raw Beet Salad with Cabbage and Orange. Quite nice-looking: Use equal parts beet and cabbage, about 8 ounces of each. Shred the beets (with the shallot) as directed; shred the cabbage by hand or by using the slicing disk of the food processor. Add 1 navel orange (including its juice), peeled and roughly chopped.[br][br]Raw Beet Salad with Carrot and Ginger. Ginger and beets are killer together: Use equal parts beet and carrot, about 8 ounces of each. Treat the carrots as you do the beets (you can process them together), adding about a tablespoon of minced peeled ginger to the mix; omit the tarragon. Substitute peanut for olive oil, lime juice for sherry vinegar, and cilantro for parsley.[br][br]Raw Beet Salad with Yogurt Dressing. Creamy: Replace the olive oil and one of the tablespoons of vinegar with 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, preferably whole-milk or low-fat.[br][br]From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian