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Red Beet Salad

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This pink-hued red beet salad made with cilantro and carrots is delicious and a great alternative to potato salad!

Red Beet Salad

Red beets, cilantro, carrots, onion and mayonnaise, a perfect side dish at your next BBQ that goes great with chicken, fish or steak. If you haven’t tried beets yet, I promise you this is delicious. This was the recipe that got me to love beets. Similar to a potato salad without all the points. Hubby liked it too to his surprise, even had seconds!

A friend of mine makes a similar salad to this only she adds chopped hot dogs. Sounds strange, I know but it’s actually really good!

 

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Red Beet Salad

4.75 from 4 votes
1
Cals:48.5
Protein:1
Carbs:6.5
Red beets, cilantro, carrots, onion and mayonnaise, a perfect side dish at your next BBQ that goes great with chicken, fish or steak. If you haven't tried beets yet, I promise you this is delicious. This was the recipe that got me to love beets. Similar to a potato salad without all the points. Hubby liked it too to his surprise, even had seconds!
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Red beets, cilantro, carrots, onion and mayonnaise, a perfect side dish at your next BBQ that goes great with chicken, fish or steak. If you haven't tried beets yet, I promise you this is delicious. This was the recipe that got me to love beets. Similar to a potato salad without all the points. Hubby liked it too to his surprise, even had seconds!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 3 servings
Serving Size: 1 /3rd

Ingredients

  • 2 large beets, washed and stems cut off
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and cooked
  • 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp diced onion
  • 2 tbsp light mayonnaise
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Boil beets in water until soft, about 50 minutes.
  • Peel and cut into small 1/2" cubes.
  • Cook carrots until tender and cut into bite size cubes.
  • Combine diced onion, carrots, beets, mayonnaise, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 /3rd, Calories: 48.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 6.5 g, Protein: 1 g, Fiber: 1.5 g

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59 comments on “Red Beet Salad”

  1. this recipe is sooooo yummy…
    i got into making beet salad after trying it at a latin restaurant and i’ve been making it off of this recipe since

  2. Avatar photo
    Marianne Anastasia

    This is the strangest salad recipe, lol. BUT, it was so good that I ate the entire recipe myself! I left out the cilantro just because I didn’t have any. And I used the pre-cooked “Love Beets”. Gina, how did you come up with this? 

  3. I LOVE this recipe! Thank you, Gina! Today, I also added some green peas (maybe 1/2 cup) and mixed the mayo with a little “Highland House Salad Dressing” in lieu of added salt/pepper. Also delicious.

  4. Not a huge fan of carrots, but love beets. The flavor of the carrots gets mingled in with the beets, so I add them for their nutritional value. This is a great alternative to potato salad plus all the nutritive benefits of beets. Thanks, Gina!

  5. This was the hit of out 4th of July BBQ! I didn’t make enough! Texans in Missouri I decided to make something new and fresh this year. This was fab! I used my canned beets and raw carrot “matchstick s”. I also used BOTH fresh cilantro and dried dill weed. It was gone before I could get a serving. I’m just glad I did a lot of taste testing before dinner. Now it’s a week later and my family ( who I never served beets to when they were growing up) has requested this for part of Sunday dinner. THIS IS A WINNER!

  6. I just starting eating beets and was looking for an easy prep-ahead salad for a potluck. I’m a die-hard Skinnytaste recipe girl and found this one, read all the reviews/comments, and decided to give it a go.  I was stunned at how delicious this combination is. Thank you!  I’ll definitely make this one again for family events/other potlucks.

  7. Nice surprise!  Bern ordering produce from the local farm for delivery during this covid lock down.  Your recipes never disappoint and you are the first cookbook I choose!  

    Since we aren’t cilantro fans I subbed parsley instead. 

    Great way to use up surplus carrots 🥕 

    Kim

  8. What a beautiful jewel colored salad,. I like beets roasted so much never have done much else to them except maybe put in a salad with feta and clementines etc. But decided to try this and glad I did. Had a beautiful bunch of beets that I roast at 400 for an hour wrapped in foil, then the skin comes off with a swipe of paper towels. I roast them whole -time depends on size. I sweat the onion in water in the microwave to make less strong and like a bit more onion. I use Helmans low fat which is super low calorie only 15 calories per tablespoon. And even just a bit seems to be enough. Really like this and it would be pretty to take to a gathering. Enjoyed reading about other peoples embellishments or additions.

  9. Tarragon makes a great substitute for cilantro. It's a completely different flavor but it's really good with a mayonnaise-based dressing. I think fresh basil would also be good. FF Miracle Whip is a mayonnaise substitute product that is fat-free (ff) but I am pretty sure it is higher in sugar than regular mayonnaise. If I wanted to substitute I would use plain unsweetened fat-free yoghurt and add salt, pepper and maybe a little mustard powder or prepared mustard.

  10. Hi there. I live in the uk and love your blog. Please tell me…what is cilantro? Also…what is ff miracle whip?

    1. Avatar photo
      Chantelle Huibrechtse

      Could be called coriander in the UK. Miracle Whip is similar to mayonnaise or salad cream.

    2. Avatar photo
      Chantelle Huibrechtse

      Could be called coriander in the UK. Miracle Whip is similar to mayonnaise or salad cream.

  11. Hi Gina,
    I am not a big fan of cilantro, would flat leaf parsley be a good substitute ?
    I would like to make this for our 4th of July get together,the rest of the recipe looks great and I love your site which I came upon by accident looking for a red potato salad recipe.

  12. where did you get this? this recipe have been in my family for generations! my grandma used to make it and serve it with white rice and chicken. hmmm so good.

  13. JUST tried this tonight….My husband and I are obsessed with beets and LOVED it! Thanks Gina!

  14. My husband and I love beets and this is a great recipe for them. I like to make extra and keep it in the fridge. It definitely tastes better as it marinates and I use it as a "go-to" snack when I'm feeling peckish…I love mayo, although I have made this several times with Italian dressing also. Like I said, it tastes good a few days later.
    Gina, the recipes are great and it's really the only thing keeping us on WW. Thanks for all the hard work you must be putting in it.

  15. My family makes this all the time but we make it a potato salad. Same ingredients but with potatoes, some Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese. We call it the "Pink Potato Salad".

  16. 2 large beets = how many cups chopped?
    I've roasted some beets – some the size of cherry tomatoes and some as big as large sweet potatoes.

  17. Avatar photo
    Andrea Larson

    I absolutely LOVE beets and so does my entire family. I'm sure this will be a hit. I have so many beets processed and frozen that I don't know what to do with. This recipe will surely help me use some of them up. Thank you!

  18. Maybe it's because I have an almost un-healthy love of beets but I read through this recipe and immediately thought "ew! mayo??". but then I read all the rave reviews and thought maybe I was missing something. Because I know not everyone loves beets like I do, I was looking for a recipe to make them "friendly" to the others coming to the Mem Day BBQ I went to this weekend. I had a bunch of gorgeous dark red beets and a bunch of golden beets from the farmer's market, a bunch of carrots as well and got to work on the recipe. I guess I didn't get very far as I just don't like beets boiled. So I roasted them. Blanched the carrots, chopped my cilantro, diced my onion and then stood there and had a stare-off with the mayo. Really? I'm supposed to add mayo? I scooped a few out and mixed them off to the side and tasted them. Couldn't bring myself to do it. So I opted instead for a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. I tried, I really really tried, but just couldn't pull the mayo-trigger (and I like mayo!). So with my modification, the beets were delicious. Although, not really true to the recipe. (Sorry!) But if it's getting non-beet lovers on board with beets, I'm all for it! Go beets!

    1. I had the same reaction to the mayo as you when I first read through the recipe. It’s only 2 Tbs, and I decided to go with the recipe as-is the first time. Happy that I did. i really was delicious.

  19. Can't wait to try! Although, I don't care for cilantro, what herb would be a good substitute? Thanks!

  20. my mom made this all the time growing up she also added whipped cream and lighter on the mayo and peas! awesome with grilled leg quarters

  21. This is a common recipe in my family's Haitian culture. Sometimes they even combine it with potatoes. I could never bring myself to like beets even past childhood! I am a rare case though among them.

  22. Can I use fat free miracle whip instead of the light mayo? Will FF miracle whip affect the points value?

  23. I grew up eating a version of this salad, my mom and aunt had us loving beets from a young age! Always a favorite. In my mom's version, she uses sweet white corn in there instead of the carrots, it's a wonderful compliment to the beets. so yummy!

  24. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Ann, this was the recipe that got me to like beets!

    This can be eaten cold, so yes you can refrigerate leftovers.

  25. Gina, this may be a dumb question, but do you serve this warm or cold- or either? I can't wait to make it, but I think I will have leftovers and wasn't sure if it was ok in refrigerator for a day or so!

  26. I have never liked beets, but had some in a salad over Christmas and decided they might be worth a second chance. I made this for dinner tonight and I could not stop eating it!! This will be something I make again and again. Thanks so much!
    Ann

  27. Hi Gina

    I joined WW 2 weeks, and stumbled onto your site while looking for WW recipes and I LOVE your site, I have used recipes from your site almost everyday since finding it. This is one of my favorites thou, I love beets and they are so good for you.I love that you have a picture with all the recipes and the points too….awesome, thankyou for all your hard work:)
    Leeanne

  28. 2 Thumbs up! This was super good. Having more with lunch today. I cooked the beets in my pressure cooker (quick and easy).

  29. Tried it today, and it was absolutely delightful! I love adding just a bit of garlic to beet salads for a little extra zing.

  30. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Sure, bake at 375°F, wrap in foil and place in the oven. Roast until tender, about 1 hour.

  31. Can this recipe be made by roasting the beets instead of boiling?
    If so, any tips on how to do this??

    Love your website and have found it great for finding recipes for entertaining! Finally, recipes that look and taste delicious, but can help me stay on track!

  32. made this tonight to go with the barbeque. cooking is never a smooth operation with me. Firstly didn't have enough carrots (and neither did the local shop!), but got stepdad to solve that issue. Then ran out of (extra light) mayo – so used low fat/light creme fraiche instead.

    Still well worth the effort for something new to do with my favourite veg – other than eat it as it is!

  33. Avatar photo
    Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen

    I just adore beets in any form! We are growing quite a lot in our garden, so this will definitely be on the menu some point soon!

  34. Hi Natalie – Happy you liked them! I boil the carrots until tender. They cook much quicker than the beets.

  35. I just started WW 2 weeks ago, and I've used 2 of your recipes already! They were delicious by the way. For this recipe, when you say cook the carrots, is that in the oven? Or, do I boil them like the beets? Thanks for your help!

  36. I have beets sitting in my fridge with no ideas how to use them – until now. Thanks for the great idea! I think I am going to add in cooked corn and vinegar. Will let you know how it turns out! 🙂