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This beet and sauerkraut salad aka Salat Vinegret is a staple in all Russian homes, and is an ideal vitamin booster in cold winter months!
Serve on the side of our Porcupine Meatballs in Creamy Tomato Sauce (Tefteli) or explore our Russian Recipe Collection for more inspiration.
I’ve been waiting to write about this salad for months and it’s finally the right time of the year when it’s appropriate!
What is Salad Vinegret?
Truth is this salad is great in any season but since it heavily relies of preserved vegetables like pickles and root vegetables, it’s eaten more often in cold months. It’s only fair that we eat fresh vegetables in the summer and cooked root vegetables and preserves now.
What is so special about this salad you might ask? Its main component is homemade sauerkraut, an incredible source of probiotics, which are so beneficial for a healthy gut!
This salad is an autumn and winter staple in every Russian and Ukrainian household, better known by the name Salat Vinegret. Undoubtedly the name is derived from the French ‘vinaigrette’ due to the sharp and tangy taste this salad delivers. It’s absolutely delicious when served on a side of meat, fish or beans.
You can also have it on its own for lunch. It tastes especially good with a hunk of dark rye bread.
Why this recipe works
The unique mix of ingredients provides sweet, sour and salty notes as well as a healthy dose of vitamins, nutrients and probiotics!
Just what our bodies so desperately need in the long winter months! I personally love the vibrant look of the glut of vegetables it’s made of!
It’s dressed simply with unrefined sunflower oil since the pickles have plenty of vinegar and salt in them already!
The unrefined sunflower oil is worth tracking down for its unique nutty flavour. However, if you are unable to find it, extra virgin olive oil will work!
What substitutions can I make?
If you don’t feel like making your own sauerkraut you can purchase it in specialty stores or online. You can also make this salad using fresh cabbage with an addition of 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
If you don’t like the taste of raw onions, you can saute them first, which will add another layer of flavour to this salad.
For those of you, who favour all things creamy, this salad can be made using mayonnaise as a dressing. As a child I preferred that version but now I like both!
Green peas are traditionally added to this salad as well. I don’t like canned green peas, so I omit them but fresh green peas could be a nice addition for their sweet taste and beautiful colour.
I hope this unusual but delicious salad will become one of your favourites!!
More Classic Russian and Ukrainian Salad Recipes:
- Russian Potato Salad Olivier
- Summer Tomato and Cucumber Salad
- Walnut Beet Salad with Garlic Mayonnaise Dressing
- Creamy Dill Cucumber, Radish and Egg Salad
Beet and Sauerkraut Salad
Ingredients
- 300g/2 cups sauerkraut
- 2 medium beets, boiled or roasted
- 1 red onion, small
- 2-3 medium potatoes, boiled
- 1 medium tart apple
- 4 medium dill pickles
- 3 tbsp This is an affiliate link.extra virgin olive oil, or unrefined sunflower oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put unpeeled potatoes in a pot filled with water and bring to a boil, then cook for approximately 15 minutes until fork tender. It’s important that the vegetables are cooked yet firm. Boil unpeeled beets for approximately 40-45 minutes depending on the size in a separate pot. Cool until safe to handle, then peel and dice the potatoes and grate the beets.
- Dice the red onion, pickles and the apple and set aside.
- Take the sauerkraut out of the liquid it’s packed in and drain well by squeezing out the liquid with clean hands.
- In a large bowl combine sauerkraut, diced potatoes, onions, apple, pickles and grated beets, then dress with the olive oil, taste and add salt and pepper if necessary as the pickles and sauerkraut contain quite a bit of salt already.
- Chill the salad to allow the flavours to meld for an hour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I was worried it might be too sour for my tastes, with so much sauerkraut *and* pickles, but the potatoes and beets were the perfect proportion of earthy neutral to balance the salad out. I made two slight alterations, based on your suggestions, which turned out great! To add a slightly sweeter profile without the peas, I used a Cosmic Crisp apple and hamburger pickles, instead of a Granny Smith-like variety and dills. And to mimic the side of rye bread, I added 1/4 tsp of what I consider a “Reuben spice blend” of caraway plus corned beef seasoning. I expect it will be even yummier tomorrow after the flavors have further mingled!
I am thrilled you enjoyed it! It’s a family favourite here.
it was good, but the next day i decided to change a bit and added a little mayo and sweet relish, a tiny bit. I think the sweetness and creaminess improved it.
Hi Deborah, yes mayo is a good addition, and in fact some people make this exact salad with mayonnaise. So pleased you enjoyed it.