Beetroot is not only one of nature’s most celebrated superfoods, it is the foundation for so many glorious make-ahead picnic salads that can hold their own even when made the day before.
I might even go as far as to say this raw beetroot salad, much like a good coleslaw, gets better with time and should be made well in advance of your alfresco soirée.
The beauty of this beetroot salad recipe is the simplicity of it, and as we say in our picnic tips – simplicity is key to perfect picnics.
This fresh and vibrant salad will lend itself to so many picnic menu ideas and the ingredients can be switched out to suit your taste or style. Or even what ingredients you have on hand. Beetroot is very forgiving like that.
The foundation of the salad will always be the same – shredded beetroot with sturdy greens, vibrant crunchy veg and a zesty vinaigrette dressing with delicious mustard seeds. There are alternate ingredient recommendations in the recipe notes.
The salads other superfood quinoa gives the salad what I like to call a delicate oomph. It beefs the salad up without being too heavy or overwhelming, allowing you to serve the salad as a picnic side or a main dish.
What to Serve With Quinoa Beet Salad
Beetroot tends to lend itself to richer meats – briskets, duck, pork and ham, strong oily fish and flavourful cheese.
But that’s not to say it doesn’t make any kind of bbq meat sing and I can’t think of another vegetable dish it doesn’t play well with.
These are just a few picnic food ideas to team with your beetroot salad.
- As a side with bbq meats – We last served it al fresco with some Greek-style chicken thighs marinated in yoghurt, garlic and dill, cooked on the grill.
- Hot dog style on a crusty baguette with a really tasty bratwurst sausage.
- Serve it as a main dish accompanied with bread (think sourdough, dark rye or pumpernickel) and hearty dips such as baba ganoush or hummus.
- Add it to a platter of cold meats like cold roast chicken or thick slices of ham off the bone and flatbread for some DIY wraps.
- As a side to smoked salmon and goats cheese on sourdough crostini.
- Team with picnic pork or pulled pork sandwiches.
How Long With A Quinoa Beet Salad Keep?
Beets will keep in the fridge from 1 – 3 months but I don’t recommend that for your salad. If kept refrigerated in an airtight container, your salad should keep well for up to three days.
The tip to keeping your salad from going soggy is not to add any of your leafy greens such as spinach until you are serving. So if you make a big batch, maybe separate into serving portions and add the greens as you use each portion.
The only exception to this rule would be if you use kale as your leafy green. Kale, like beetroot, loves a good soak in dressing and actually benefits from some time in a tasty vinaigrette – so marinate away.
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Quinoa Beet Salad with Dill & Mustard Seed Dressing
Simple to make, this quinoa beet salad works well as a main salad dish or as a side. Crunchy carrot, vibrant greens, and aromatic herbs give the salad a fresh finish yet still holds it own as a make-ahead picnic salad.
Ingredients
- 1 large raw beetroot peeled
- 1 large carrot peeled
- ½ cup quinoa (uncooked)
- 1 cup frozen edamame beans ( you can use ordinary green peas, fava beans or even green beans)
- 2 tablespoons fresh or dry dill (add more or less according to taste)
- 1 teaspoon of fresh or dry mint (adjust more or less according to taste)
- 2 big handfuls of baby spinach (you can use kale or arugula - see notes)
Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- A squeeze of lemon juice - about 1/2 small lemon
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds (lightly toasted)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: If you haven't cooked quinoa before, the packet will have instructions but we have included instructions in the notes for your reference. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
- Quickly blanch the edamame beans in boiling water - don't overcook (do the same if using peas, fava, or green beans). Run under cold water to stop them cooking and pop the beans from their shell.
- Lightly toast the mustard seeds in a non-stick pan. I like to give them a slight crush (not to powder but just to crack the shell) in a mortar and pestle after toasting, but this is a personal preference and not necessary.
- Chop the fresh dill and mint if using fresh.
- Prepare the beetroot & carrot: Peel both the beetroot and carrot and either grate, spiralize or julienne them. Julienne or spiralize is preferred as grating can make the veg a bit too fine and the salad mushy. I use a mandoline slicer, but you can use a julienne peeler, spiralizer or even a food processer with the appropriate disc attached - whatever works for you. If you're handy with a chefs knife - feel free to chop as you please. You can also buy packets of pre-shredded carrots and beetroot at the supermarket, but fresh is always best if you can. I find the beetroot especially is often very dry in those pre julienned packs.
- In a bowl, mix the carrot, beetroot, edamame beans, dill, mint, and quinoa. Reserve a little of the mint and dill to garnish at the end.
- Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic, crushed garlic, and lemon juice, then mix the mustard seeds through.
- Gently toss the salad mixing the dressing through a little at a time. Don't use more than you need if it doesn't require it. Some beets can be quite juicy so will not need as much dressing.
- Add some fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- If adding kale over baby spinach, now is the time to mix it through. Kale does well soaking in dressings for longer.
- If using baby spinach, I recommend adding it just before serving, so it doesn't get too soggy in the dressing. It also adds a fresh splash of green to the salad when added at the last minute. See notes about alternate greens.
- Garnish with remaining dill and mint and serve.
Notes
How to Cook Quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh colander.
- Use a 2:1 ration water to quinoa - in this recipe- 1/2 cup quinoa: 1 cup water.
- Combine the water and quinoa in a pot and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cover the pot until all the water is absorbed.
- Depending on the quantity, this can take around 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, leaving the lid on and allow the quinoa to steam for a few minutes more. The quinoa seeds will pop open when they are at their fluffy best.
- Fluff with a fork and serve or cool for use later.
Alternate Ingredients
If you don't like dill, switch out with parsley or herb of your choice.
If you don't have edamame beans, use either green peas, green beans, or fava beans. Fava is my preferred option. Blanch and cool as you would the edamame beans.
Alternate baby spinach for kale, swiss chard, or arugula. Whatever alternate leafy green you use, make sure it is a robust dark green. Light lettuce leaves will not hold up to the beetroot.
Try not to overwork the salad when mixing and dressing as the more you mix, the redder it will go and you will lose all your vibrant colours.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 49mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 8g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate
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