Walnut Beet Salad with Garlic Mayonnaise Dressing

5 from 2 votes

This garlic mayonnaise beet salad with walnuts and fresh herbs is simple but surprisingly delicious and a perfect side dish to any meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Appetiser, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Russian

Keyword: beet salad, beetroot salad

Servings:

Trim the beet leaves and wash them but do not peel as beetroot tends to bleed when boiled. Keeping the skins on reduces bleeding. Put them in a pot and cover with water, boil for 30 minutes for small beets. Test the doneness by piercing with a knife, the same way you would do with potatoes. Cool completely then peel and grate using a vegetable grater or a food processor, which is my preferred method.
In a large bowl combine the grated beets, chopped walnuts and the herbs.
In a mason jar combine the mayonnaise, pressed garlic, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and water. Cover with a lid and give a good shake until smooth. Pour the garlic mayonnaise dressing all over the beet salad and mix well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with 1 tbsp of chopped walnuts and fresh herbs.

Alternatively you can use pre-cooked vacuum packed beetroot, which makes this salad a snap to prepare.
Fresh tarragon could also be used in addition or in place of the dill and parsley.
Using food processor for grating is the quickest and the least messy way to work with beets. You can also use kitchen gloves to avoid hand staining.