How to Prepare Beets for a Salad

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 29, 2022 References

Beets have an earthy, savory flavor that makes them the perfect addition to any salad. If you're in the mood for a tasty beet salad, you have plenty of options. Raw beets add crunch and texture while roasted beets have a savory, soft taste. If you want something with a little more flavor, you might even try pickling your own beets. There are so many ways to prepare beets that you may just have to make more than one salad!

Ingredients

Pickling Beets

Makes 8 servings per quart-sized jar

6-8 medium-sized beets
1 cup (250 ml) of red wine or apple cider vinegar
½ cup (100 g) of sugar
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
1 teaspoon (5 g) of ground cloves (optional)
1 teaspoon (5 g) of allspice (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Chopping Raw Beets

1
Slice the skin off of the beets using a paring knife. Wash the beets first using cool water. Pat them dry with a towel. Using a sharp paring knife, cut away the rough outer layer. You can also use a peeler to help scrape off the skins.^{[1]
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- You may want to wear gloves as you do this to prevent your fingers from staining.
- Use a steel cutting board, as beet juice can stain wood, plastic, and marble boards.
- The skin is edible, but it has a very bitter taste that you may not want in your salad.
2
Chop the greens off of the beet. Keep about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stem on the beet. Beet root greens are extremely healthy and tasty. If you want to add them to the salad, tear them into pieces with your fingers. Set the greens aside until you are ready to toss the salad.^{[2]
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3
Slice the beets if you want a crunchy texture. Use a sharp chef's knife. Hold the beet on the uncut bottom end with your fingers curled inward to prevent injury. Start at the end where the top was sliced off. Slice the beet into thin rounds.^{[3]
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- You can also use a mandoline to create very thin slices.
- If you want even smaller pieces, slice the rounds in half.
4
Grate the beets if you want smaller pieces. Put a medium-sized grater over a non-porous plate or surface, such as a ceramic plate or steel cutting board. Take the peeled beet and press it against the grater. Move the beet up and down against the grate to produce beet shavings.^{[4]
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5
Use a spiralizer to make beet noodles. You will need to slice off about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from both ends of the beet to use a spiralizer. Set a bowl under the blade where the noodles will come out. Place the beet between the blade and the crank. Turn the crank to make the noodles.
6
Toss the beets in your salad. Once you have cut the beets into your desired shape, you can go ahead and throw them in your salad. Toss the raw beets in with lettuce, dressing, and your other favorite vegetables. Use sweet and tangy flavors to offset the earthy, bitter taste of the beets.^{[5]
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- Add the beet greens now if you want.
- Lemon dressings, vinaigrettes, and mustard dressings pair well with beets.
- Kale, arugula, or spinach taste great in a raw beet salad.
- Sprinkle the beets with chili and squeeze lemon juice on top for a spicy twist.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Roasting Beets

1
Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C) or gas mark 5. It may take several minutes for the oven to reach the right temperature. In the meantime, start preparing the beets for cooking.^{[7]
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2
Rinse the beets with cold water. Wear clean kitchen gloves to prevent the beets from staining your fingers. Scrub the beets with a vegetable brush under cool water. You do not need to dry the beets.^{[8]
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- Don't peel the beets yet. The skin will be easier to remove after cooking.
3
Cut the greens off of the beet. If you want to save the greens for the salad, simply set them aside for now. With a sharp chef's or paring knife, slice off the greens of the beet, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stem on the beet. If you want to save the greens for the salad, set them aside for now.^{[9]
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4
Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place them on a foil-lined sheet. It is okay if they are slightly damp when you wrap them. Make sure that they are completely covered in aluminum foil. Place each beet on a baking sheet wrapped with foil once you are done.^{[10]
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- Include herbs, spices, and different flavorings, such as citrus slices, with the beats to give them some extra flavor.
5
Cook the beets for 30-35 minutes. Larger beets may need up to 50-60 minutes to cook. You will know the beets are done when you can pierce them easily with a fork. They should be soft if they are cooked through.^{[11]
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6
Rub the skin of the beets off with a paper towel. Wait a minute for the foil to cool. Remove the foil from the beets and let them sit for a few minutes before you remove the skins. To take off the skins, hold the beets in a paper towel. Use the towel to rub away the outside skin. If the skin doesn't easily come off, put them back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.^{[12]
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- If the beets are cool enough, you can also try pushing the skin off with your thumbs. You may want to wear gloves, however.^{[13]
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7
Chop the beets into quarters or eighths. Use a chef's knife. First slice the beet into rounds. Make the slices as thick or thin as you would like. Halve the rounds once and then cut those slices in half again. If you want smaller beets, you can cut them in half once more.^{[14]
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- You can also cut the beets into small cubes to toss into your salad.
8
Mix the roasted beets into your favorite salad. Add the beet greens now if you would like. Roasted beets have a savory flavor that goes well with salty or tangy flavors. Use sharp dressings with citrus, garlic, onion, or vinegar flavors.^{[15]
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- Red onion, goat cheese, and roasted nuts are popular pairings with roasted beets.
- If you want something creamy, try a horseradish dressing.^{[16]
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- Arugula, mesclun, and radicchio salad greens work nicely with roasted beets in a salad.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Pickling Beets

1
Wash the beets in cool water. Scrub the outside of the beets with a vegetable brush if they are dirty. You do not need to dry the beets, since you will be steaming them in water. Leave the greens for when you steam them.^{[17]
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2
Steam the beets and the greens for 45 minutes. Cover whole beets and greens with water in a saucepan. Bring the pan to a boil over heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the beets for 45 minutes. Drain the beets when they are done.^{[18]
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- When they are done, the beets should be soft and easily pierced with a fork.
- You can also roast the beets if you want instead of steaming. Remove the greens first. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and cook them in the oven at 375 °F (191 °C) for 30-35 minutes.
3
Chop the beets so that they will fit into a glass jar. Let them cool before cutting off the greens and the skins. Leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stem when chopping off the greens. Use a chef's knife to slice or dice beets. You can also use a spiralizer to make beet noodles. Just make sure that the pieces are small enough to fit into a glass jar.^{[19]
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- If you would like to peel the beets instead of cutting them off with a knife, wait until the cooked beets are cooled. Use your thumbs or a paper towel to rub off the skins.
- Since it can take a few days to pickle beets, go ahead and use the greens in a separate recipe or throw them out. Steamed or sauteed beet greens make a great side dish for dinner.
4
Boil the vinegar, sugar, salt, and seasonings in a separate pot. Proportions may vary based on what recipe you're using. In general, for about 6-8 beets, use 1 cup (250 ml) of vinegar, ½ cup (100 g) of sugar, ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt, and any other seasonings you would like to add. Boil the ingredients for 5 minutes.^{[20]
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- You can use whatever type of vinegar you want, but remember that it will affect the taste. Popular vinegars include red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar.
- You might add 1 teaspoon (5 g) of cloves and 1 teaspoon (5 g) of allspice to the vinegar mixture for extra flavor.
5
Add the beets and the vinegar mixture to a glass jar. The ingredients do not need to be cool when they are added. First, put in the beets and then pour the liquid over them. Fill the jar to the top with the liquid. Screw on the top tightly.^{[21]
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- You can use two pint-sized (half-liter) jars or one quart-sized (liter) jar.
6
Refrigerate the jar of beets for 3-7 days. The longer you leave the beets in the jar, the more pickled they will taste. Pickled beets will not last longer than a week, however. Throw out any uneaten beets after 7 days.^{[22]
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- Pickled beets are perishable. They must be refrigerated. If you want beets to be preserved on your pantry shelf, you will need to can them.
7
Add the pickled beets to your favorite salad. Drain the beets from the vinegar mixture before tossing them in the salad. Pickled beets go well with goat cheese, nuts, pears, and roasted butternut squash. Pair the beet salad with a garlic, horseradish, onion, or citrus-based dressing.^{[23]
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- Arugula or kale are great choices to use in a pickled beet salad.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I slice the beets and store them in water in the fridge overnight?

Allison Schick

Top Answerer

Yes, the beets will keep overnight if you store them in water, but some of the natural juices might leak out.