Vinegret salad is a traditional Russian beet salad that is naturally vegan, healthy, and filling. The main ingredient in this salad is beets, so it has a distinctive vibrant pink color. It’s simple and easy to make, and the dressing is made with basic ingredients that you already have in your kitchen.
As a Russian, I grew up in a family where we ate lots of vinegret salad. It especially made an appearance on the menu on special occasions such as birthdays, public holidays that we celebrate, and New Year’s eve!
It’s a simple salad but requires some time to make as you have to cook the beets, potatoes, peas, and carrots. But the result is always SO worth it! It’s an indulgent salad, but very healthy and definitely not high in calories!
This salad is basically a potato salad with beets and other vegetables. If you’re looking for a delicious potato salad, try my creamy red potato salad, and Instant Pot potato salad.
How to make Russian Vinegret salad
What you’ll need:
- Beets. If fresh beets are available, always choose ones that are quite crisp and dark in color as they’re the freshest (avoid beets with soft spots and flabby skin). You can also use pre-boiled beets or canned cooked beets.
- Potatoes, carrots, green onions and a small white or yellow onion.
- Peas. Use either fresh or frozen and cook them, or use canned that will just need to be drained.
- Pickles. To give the salad a tangy taste and a lovely crunchy texture.
- Olive oil, white or apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
- OPTIONAL: Kidney beans, and sauerkraut.
If using fresh beets, boil them as whole unpeeled in boiling water for about an hour or until they’re tender and can be easily pierced with a knife or fork. If using canned beets, just drain them from any liquid.
Do not boil the beets with any other vegetable as everything will turn pink. So in a different pot, boil potatoes and carrots together until tender (about half an hour). Make sure not to overcook the potatoes and carrots as they need to hold their shape when they’re sliced.
After you cook the vegetables, drain them from water and set them aside to cool down completely before you peel and chop them.
Peel the cooked vegetables with a small paring knife, then dice them. Also, dice the onion and the pickled cucumbers.
TIP: To prevent the diced beets from coloring the other cooked vegetables, add 1 tablespoon of sunflower or olive oil and coat them in the oil in a separate bowl, and then mix them with the rest of the diced vegetables.
Mix all vegetables together along with the kidney beans if using, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and ground black pepper and give it a good mix.
Garnish the salad with chopped green onions and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Storing Tips
Store the Vinegret salad in the fridge covered for up to 3 days. It is not recommended to freeze this salad.
Serving
To serve the salad, either serve in a large salad bowl or plate. Or just divide between bowls. A trick that Russians often use is to create a dome-like salad by placing the salad tightly in a small bowl, then turn it upside down and onto a plate.
Serve this salad with a bowl of Russian Borsch soup, and Russian herring salad.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Russian Vinegret Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets or 2 cans of beets , drained
- 3 medium potatoes
- 3 medium carrots
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 dill pickles
- 1 cup peas
- 1 15-ounce can (400 g) kidney beans drained and rinsed, optional
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using fresh beets, boil them for an hour or until they’re tender and can be easily pierced with a knife or fork. If using canned beets, just drain them from any liquid.
- Do not boil the beets with any other vegetable as everything will turn pink. So in a different pot, boil potatoes and carrots together until tender (about half an hour). Make sure not to overcook the potatoes as they need to hold their shape when they’re sliced.
- After you cook the vegetables, drain them from water and set them aside to cool down completely before you peel and chop them.
- Peel the cooked vegetables, then dice them. Also, dice the onion and the pickles.
- To prevent the beets from coloring the other vegetables, add 1 tablespoon of sunflower or olive oil and coat them in the oil.
- Mix all vegetables together along with the kidney beans if using, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and ground black pepper and give it a good mix.
- Garnish the salad with chopped green onions and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Notes:
- Store the Vinegret salad in the fridge covered for up to 3 days. It is not recommended to freeze this salad.
- Sauerkraut is also traditionally added to this salad, so feel free to add some with the dill pickles.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
This recipe first appeared on Little Sunny Kitchen on March 8th, 2017 but was updated with more information and new images in April 2020.
Melissa Sawochka says
Please give specifics on how to create the domed presentation. Does it stay together? Do I need to line the bowl with anything? A metal mixing bowl?
Thank you
Diana says
Hi Melissa, just place the salad in a small bowl and tightly pack it together then turn it onto a plate and it should stay together. You can line it with plastic wrap if you prefer.
julia linnus says
as russian, never tried and see any peas in vinegret.and picles need to be gurkins only(salty,not sour).also,never find in my ilfe vinegret experiense a beans.sauercraft yes,very often
Diana says
Hi Julia, I’m also Russian and †his is my family recipe. I hope that you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do!