If you're looking for a quick, healthy, yet easy salad to make, then I have the recipe for you! This shredded beet salad with carrot and apple is super simple with only a handful of ingredients and limited prep.
The best part about all of this is that this salad can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days! That's almost a week's worth of salad, in fact, you will find that much like this Kale Slaw, the flavor only gets better as this shredded beet salad sits and marinates in its own juices!
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The Secret Behind This Shredded Beet Salad
Root vegetables are very commonly used and available throughout North Germany where the climate can be rather cold and rainy, and provide a great supply of staple vegetables.
Many root vegetables such as beets, carrots, turnips, and potatoes actually release natural sugars in cooler weather and become sweeter and more flavorful when stored in the cold. Even some green vegetables such as broccoli and kale do this.
If you're into eating seasonally, this root vegetable salad is perfect for enjoying a fresh winter root vegetable without first needing to cook it. The apples are easily omitted and the parsley which is used as a garnish can be grown in an indoor herb garden.
How long does this shredded beet salad keep for?
As mentioned above, this shredded beet will easily keep in the fridge for 4 days. As long as it is properly refrigerated and not left on the counter the acid in the dressing, as well as the fact that nothing in the salad is cooked, will help keep it fresh and crisp.
Do you peel the beets before shredding?
I've had a few folks ask me if you need to peel the beets before shredding them for this salad. Technically no, you don't need to peel the raw beet before shredding, since as long as you wash the beet thoroughly, the skin is edible.
That said, it can be fairly tough and has a slightly different texture than the raw beet flesh itself. As such I peel my beets in order to maintain a more pleasant texture in the salad.
Substitutions
If you lack a certain ingredient, or simply have another root vegetable in the fridge you can easily substitute other winter root vegetables. Carrots, celery root, and kohlrabi can all be used as well.
Of course, the flavor may change as you switch out vegetables, but this just opens up your options to an even larger variety of salads.
Beet Salad Ingredients
You'll need
- 1 beet shredded
- 1 carrot peeled and shredded
- 1 apple cored and shredded
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup rough chopped walnuts
- Chives as a garnish
For The Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1tbsp brown sugar or honey, even maple syrup can be used.
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
1. Start by shredding all your beets, carrots, and apples. I would personally peel the beets and carrots with a vegetable peeler, but I wouldn't bother with the apple. There's nothing wrong with using something as simple as a box grater to shred the vegetables, but if you can get your hands on a food processor with a grating attachment this recipe can be made in half the time.
2. Mix the shredded vegetables in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt. The salt helps draw out some of the juices in the vegetables helping marinade the flavors.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar and whisk vigorously. Season this simple dressing with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the shredded beets, carrots, and apple. Mix well with a spoon or simply use your hands. Put the salad in the fridge and let it marinate for at least an hour.
4. Once you are ready to serve or eat some of the salad, take it out of the fridge and mix in the parsley and chopped walnuts. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon zest, and fresh chopped chive, and sit back and enjoy a bowl of this super healthy, crisp shredded beet salad!
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Recipe
Shredded beet salad with carrot, apple, and walnuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole beet shredded
- 1 medium carrot peeled and shredded peeled and shredded
- 1 whole apple cored and shredded
- 1 cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped
- chives as a garnish
For the dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 whole lemon juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey even maple syrup can be used.
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Wash and peel the beets and carrots, then core the apple.
- Using a box grater, shred the beets, apple, and carrots into a bowl.
- Mix together with a pinch of salt.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar.Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and mix together, refrigerate for 1 hour.
- When ready to serve mix in chopped nuts, parsley, and lemon zest. Chopped chives are optional, but add a great fresh flavor to this crisp salad!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
casey
Great recipe! My only quibble is it has way too much olive oil. I think I'll use half that amount next time. I also subbed in dill over parsley, and it tastes great!
Carol
This salad is simply delicious and my new favorite way to use fresh beets. I sprinkled a bit of goat cheese over the top. It was already delicious without it but we thought it was a perfect compliment to the acidity and took the salad to a whole new level of flavor.
Chef Markus Mueller
Wonderful! Goat cheese on top of the shredded beet salad would taste fantastic, I agree! I will try this the next time I make the salad myself!
kate
I have alread cooked the beets. They are in the fridge. ...can I still shred them? Or just slice thin?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Kate, yes you can still grate and use the cooked beets, though the salad texture won't be as crunchy of course.
Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites
This is a recipe I have got to make for my beets-loving fiance! He will love it and I love how easy it is to make anytime!
Chef Markus Mueller
I'm sure he'll love it! It keeps very well in the fridge as well!
Camilla Hawkins
Yummy, I bet this is delicious, I made a winter salad with cauliflower instead of carrot along with the rest of these ingredients for a cookery exam once:-)
Chef Markus Mueller
OO That would be good! Cauliflower is so under rated! I love it raw tossed into salads, it adds a great little crunch!
Traci
I'm in love with shredded raw beets so this recipe is a winner for me! And I'm always up for an apple cider vinaigrette. Great recipe!
Chef Markus Mueller
Thanks Traci!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I love the apples and walnuts in this root salad -- adding even more flavor and crunch. Great colors too!
Chef Markus Mueller
They make a great combo, a little sweetness, the crunch, and the earthy beet, all work very well together!
Claudia Lamascolo
I love healthy recipes like this one. I really love beets they are a favorite of mine I eat them everyday this is right up my alley!
Cathy
I love the idea of making a salad that will last a few days, and certainly plan to try this one! We still have beets keeping nicely in sand our cold cellar.
Gabby
I can't believe I've never had a shredded beet salad before, I love beets so much! I will definitely be trying this soon, such a great combination of flavours.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Such a colourful salad! Love the addition of walnuts in there for texture! Perfect for summer bbqs!
Gabrielle @ eyecandypopper
That's too funny, because with a French mom and a German father, I've eaten many salads exactly like this while growing up! It's a great combination, very refreshing without using lettuce, and the lemon juice to me is the big star as it really enhances all the flavours. I should make this again! So good!
Natalie Browne
Its interesting to learn about the cold weather making root veggies sweeter. It makes sense that they're typically winter veggies. This salad looks so bright and colourful and I love that it'll keep for a few days. Perfect for grab and go lunches on busy mornings
Annika
Perfect combination and I love the inclusion of nuts for an added crunch!