Discover the authentic Russian beet salad Vinegret, a flavorful mix of beets, potatoes, and pickles that has such a great combination of flavors and textures. A vibrant, make-ahead dish for any occasion.
If you're Belarusian like me, or have Slavic roots, you’ll definitely recognize this classic recipe—Russian Beet Salad, or Vinegret. This vibrant salad is a staple at almost every holiday, special occasion, and family gathering. Despite the name sounding like "vinaigrette," Vinegret is actually a hearty, flavorful salad made with beets, potatoes, carrots, pickles, and sauerkraut. It's a timeless dish that’s been loved for generations and is still a crowd-pleaser today. When I look at the list of ingredients, it's easy to see why it was so popular - it's made up of all things that were readily available during the big holidays - Christmas, New Year's and Easter for our ancestors.
Back in the days of the Soviet Union, our parents and grandparents didn't have anything available except what was in season or local, so they had to make do with whatever they had canned or brined during the summer and fall as well the vegetables that could be stored in the root cellar during the long, cold winter months. The ingenuity of creating so many tasty dishes with such a limited pantry has always impressed me.
I love this salad. The beets and carrots give sweetness, the potatoes - heartiness and the pickles and sauerkraut give tartness and flavor. In addition to being a holiday favorite, I also love making Vinegret for an easy, go-to lunch throughout the week. The beauty of this salad is that you can chop everything up ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, whenever you’re ready to eat, just toss it together for a flavorful, filling meal. The flavors only get better as they sit, making it the perfect salad for meal prepping. It’s so easy to serve and enjoy—whether it’s for a quick lunch or a light side dish.
Beet Salad "Vinegret" Video
Ingredients:
The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- beets
- Beets are the star of this salad, giving it that vibrant red color and a natural sweetness.
- potatoes
- Potatoes add a hearty, comforting base to the salad. I recommend using gold potatoes, they have the best texture, and they hold their shape better when chopped and mixed into the salad.
- carrots
- Just like beets, carrots add sweetness and color to Vinegret.
- sauerkraut
- Sauerkraut adds the perfect tang and acidity that balances the sweetness of the beets and potatoes. Just make sure to drain it well to avoid excess moisture.
- Here's the recipe for Homemade Sauerkraut. Store bought can be used as well.
- dill pickles
- Dill pickles are a classic addition to Vinegret, giving the salad its signature crunch and sharpness.
- You can use regular-sized dill pickles, but baby pickles have a more delicate texture that works perfectly in this salad.
- shallot
- Shallots add a subtle, milder onion flavor that won’t overpower the other ingredients.
- If you prefer a bit more bite, feel free to use red or yellow onion, but be careful not to add too much, as their flavor can be stronger.
- salt, ground black pepper
- oil
- Sunflower oil is the traditional choice for Vinegret, but olive oil or avocado oil are also great choices. Any mild flavored oil can be used.
- distilled white vinegar
- White vinegar adds the perfect amount of acidity to bring the salad together. You can adjust the vinegar to taste, depending on how tangy you like your Vinegret.
- Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are also great options.
How To Make Russian Beet Salad (Vinegret)
- Cook the Beets
- You can cook the beets in boiling water, or (my favorite method), roast them for a deeper, more complex flavor. (Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to roast beets.)
If boiling, simply place the beets in a pot of boiling water and cook until tender. Let them cool before peeling.
- You can cook the beets in boiling water, or (my favorite method), roast them for a deeper, more complex flavor. (Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to roast beets.)
- Cook the Potatoes and Carrots
- In a separate pot, place the potatoes and carrots. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until both the potatoes and carrots are tender enough to pierce with a paring knife (about 20 minutes, depending on the size of your vegetables).
- Be sure not to overcook them—if they’re too soft, they’ll break apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
- Cool and Peel the Vegetables
- Allow the cooked beets, carrots, and potatoes to cool until they’re cool enough to handle.
- I find it’s easiest to use a paper towel to rub off the skin of the cooked beets (it works like a charm!) and a butter knife or paring knife to peel the skin off the potatoes and carrots.
- Chop the Vegetables
- Now, chop the beets, carrots, and potatoes into small, evenly sized pieces. You can chop them larger if you prefer a chunkier salad, but I recommend keeping them fairly fine so they mix together well.
- Prepare the Other Ingredients
- Chop the dill pickles into small pieces to match the size of the beets, carrots, and potatoes.
- Finely mince the shallot or onion (depending on what you’re using).
- If your sauerkraut has long pieces, chop them into smaller sections for a more uniform texture.
- Assemble the Salad
- Combine all the chopped vegetables, pickles, shallot, and sauerkraut in a large mixing bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour in the oil and vinegar. The oil and vinegar will bring everything together, and you’ll be left with a perfectly balanced, flavorful salad.
Helpful Tips:
Customize the Flavor
One of the best things about Vinegret is that you can adjust the flavor to your liking! If you love a tangy salad, feel free to add more pickles, sauerkraut, or vinegar. If you prefer a milder version, scale back on those ingredients. The balance is all about personal taste!
Roast the Vegetables instead of boiling
If you prefer, you can roast the potatoes and carrots instead of boiling them. Simply place them directly on a baking sheet with the beets (which should be wrapped in parchment paper). Roast all three vegetables at 400°F (200°C) until they’re tender and easily pierced with a knife or skewer. Roasting adds a deeper, slightly caramelized flavor to the vegetables.
Add Fresh Herbs for Extra Freshness
Fresh herbs like dill, green onions, or parsley can really brighten up Vinegret. If you love herbs, feel free to add them right before serving for an extra burst of freshness and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Vinegret should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can last up to up to a week, but 3-5 days is optimal. The flavors will only get better as they sit and meld together.
Yes! First of all, you can roast the beets and cook the carrots and potatoes in advance, then chop them up when you're ready to assemble. Or, make the entire salad in advance and store in the refrigerator, as I explained in the previous question.
Want to make your Vinegret a bit heartier? Add beans or chickpeas! They’re a great way to boost the protein and texture of the salad. Simply toss in some canned or cooked beans (like kidney beans, white beans, or chickpeas) along with the other ingredients. They’ll blend in beautifully and add an extra layer of flavor.
More Hearty Salads
PrintRussian Beet Salad "Vinegret"
Vinegret is a classic Russian salad, loved by many Slavic cultures, made with beets, potatoes, carrots, pickles and sauerkraut. Its vibrantly ruby color makes it a beautiful side dish. It's healthy, delicious and can be made in advance.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 85 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Salad, Side Dish
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large beets (cooked and finely chopped)
- 2 medium-large potatoes (cooked and finely chopped)
- 3 medium-large carrots (cooked and finely chopped)
- ¾-1 cup sauerkraut (drained)
- 6 baby dill pickles (finely chopped) (or 2-3 regular pickles)
- 1 small shallot (you can also use ¼ of a red or yellow onion, finely minced)
- salt, ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ - ⅓ cup oil (or any oil you prefer, grapeseed, avocado, sunflower, etc.)
- 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- Cook the beets in boiling water or roast the beets until tender.
- In another pot, place the potatoes and carrots. Cover the vegetables with cold water. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook just until the carrots and potatoes are both cooked through and you are able to pierce them all the way through with a paring knife. You want to make sure that they are cooked through all the way, but not too much, since they will otherwise fall apart and turn to mush when mixed later on with the rest of the ingredients in the salad.
- Cool the beets, carrots and potatoes until cool enough to handle. I use a paper towel to help remove the skin from the cooked beets (it works like a charm) and use a butter knife or paring knife to peel off the skin from the carrots and potatoes.
- Chop the beets, carrots and potatoes finely, so that they are about the same size. Of course, you can chop them larger if you prefer.
- Chop the pickles to be approximately the same size as the beets, carrots and potatoes. Finely mince a shallot or onion, whichever you are using.
- Drain the sauerkraut. If the sauerkraut has really long pieces, you can chop them in half or thirds.
- Mix all the vegetables, including the sauerkraut and pickles in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the oil and the vinegar. Mix to combine. Store in the refrigerator.
- You can make this salad up to 3-5 days in advance. You can also add fresh herbs right before serving, such as dill, green onions or parsley.
Notes
Adjust the Flavor
You can adjust the amount of vegetables to your taste preference. I like my vinegret to have a nice briny and tart flavor, so I add lots of pickles, sauerkraut and vinegar. You can add more or less beets, carrots or potatoes, for example.
Add Beans or Chickpeas
Want to make your Vinegret a bit heartier? Add beans or chickpeas! They’re a great way to boost the protein and texture of the salad. Simply toss in some canned or cooked beans (like kidney beans, white beans, or chickpeas) along with the other ingredients. They’ll blend in beautifully and add an extra layer of flavor.
Try this: if you mix all the vegetables together with some of the oil first to coat them all thoroughly, then add the beets and everything else, the vegetables will retain their color better.
Thank you for sharing that tip! It’s a great suggestion for keeping the vegetables vibrant. 😊 Beets are so naturally vibrant that they’ll color the rest of the veggies, especially after the salad sits for a few hours. But I do love that you're thinking about ways to preserve the colors! I think it's all part of the fun of making beet salad — that beautiful pink hue! Thanks again for your input!
Do you use regular American dill pickles or do you use the fermented kind? Thanks!
YOu can use either; I personally prefer dill pickles, but we have use the fermented ones as well.
Amazing recipe! I had this once at a Russian restaurant and fell in love with it. When I was home for the holidays my mom had just finished cooking some beets and needed to do something with them so we opted to try this recipe. Happy to report it tasted almost like the one I had at the restaurant 🙂
Bilo ochennnn vkusno spasibo !!!
It was delicious 😀
Love this salad! Thank you for this recipe!!! My mom always told me to put a little bit of this and a little bit of that...ugh... I grew up up in Siberia and totally relate to the root cellar days 😊
Olga i was looking at this salad and see something missing there, today i was checking it again and discovered there's no beans or peas is it your personal preference not to put it in recipe? I myself always use red beans for vinegret. Thanks for all your recipes, i love the way your Napoleon looks, not many people can make it! You're amazing!
We do put beans in there sometimes, but I personally prefer not to add beans or peas to this salad. Of course, you can add them if you like.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Tatyana:). I really appreciate that you took the time to write.
Hi Olga my great grandmother used to make it similar to this but my grandma changed it a lot, instead of carrot pickle and sauerkraut she used beans and peas and sour cream and left everything rather chunky in size. While it was always a tradition in our house for events like Christmas or birthdays etc I have since taken over the making of it and I prefers mine more like my great ndmother (similar to this reciepe) but I didn't know about the carrots. The rest of the family prefers the more traditional version too but the other kind is nice when after something creamier
Thank you for sharing, Deisha:).
is the best thank you olga
is the best thank you
Hi Olga, I've just discovered your blog, while searching for beet salad recipes. This salad is amazing, wonderful, excellent! I just love it.
I am Polish, and very familiar with some dishes similar to Russian ones, but thanks to your blog I can find a lot of great recipes quite new to me, and so very tasty. Thank you!
Sending my love from North Carolina.
I had leftover sauerkraut(plain, ole, cooked, not my favorite), so I made this. I used canned vegetables because I'm lazy, added some sweetener to taste, let it sit a couple of days in the fridge. Dang, this is good! It's also very pretty. Great recipe. I'm German and wish my mom had come up with this one as we ate a lot of sauerkraut. Wil make again. Thanks.
I am so happy that I discovered your site. I am Russian and I do make the recipes taught to me by my mom. Pierogi, halushka, stuffed cabbage, etc. However, you are introducing me to more. Thank You.
Hi Betty Lou! Thank you for stopping by. I hope you find many recipes to enjoy.
Hi Olga, I just wanted to say that growing up I didn't like this salad much.. My mom made it with beans & just something about beans in this salad just wasn't my fave.. I tried your recipe & LOVED it! It is going into my monthly salad rotation.. This batch lasted me about a week since it was mostly my hubby & I eating it. I loved having it in the fridge, also I didn't have the Russian style souerkraut so I used just the regular sauerkraut that you buy at any grocery store & it was perfect! Thanks again:)
I'm so happy to hear that, Natasha. Even though sometimes I like to add beans to Vinegret, I really prefer it without. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the salad. I also enjoy having a batch of it in the refrigerator.
Hi Olga, i also like extra pickles and sauerkraut in my vinegret, i also at times add white beans to mine, my grandma did it this way
Hey, a girl after my own heart:). I just love the briny and sour flavors. YES! Beans are great in Vinegret.