Many, many years ago, when I spent several years in Camphill Villages, and we literally lived off the land, there would always be that time of year, where Spring, with it’s fresh veggies, wasn’t quite here yet, but the vegetables we had been storing and using over the winter were growing a little tired - and well, we all grew somewhat tired of them. Most of them were root vegetables at that point and there are only so many ways you can make potatoes, parsnips, beets, etc.
One of my absolute favorites however, was a raw beetroot and horseradish salad. It really brightened up the palette and it’s freshness and crunch was such a welcome change!
These days of course, I can get any kind of fruit and vegetable at any time of the year, but when I saw the luscious beetroots AND a chunk of fresh horseradish root right next to it today at our local Asian store, I couldn’t resist!
I have long forgotten the “recipe” I used for the salad back then (as if I ever did recipes!), so today I set out to recreate that flavor I remembered.
Yum! My goodness, it is still as good as ever! Bright, crunchy, with just a bit of a kick, combined with the inherent sweetness of the beet and just ever so slightly balanced out with the vinegar and salt!
Raw Beetroot and Horseradish Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 pound red beets, stemmed, scrubbed and/or peeled (preferably organic)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil (or any other good oil of your choice)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp. fresh grated horseradish (or up to 6 tbsp. if you like it stronger)
- 2 tbsp. fresh minced spring onions or fresh chives
Preparation:
Grate beetroots - I would recommend some disposable gloves if you have them handy!
In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour over the grated beetroot, mix to combine and let the salad steep for several hours (at least one hour though,) so all the lovely flavors can mingle and deepen.
Yum! I can't wait to try your recipe. I have had cooked versions from local European markets and started looking for recipes because they add so much sugar. Which is redundant since beets are naturally sweet. Thank you for posting this, I will be picking up the ingredients tomorrow!!!!!:-)
ReplyDeleteYum! I can't wait to try your recipe. I have had cooked versions from local European markets and started looking for recipes because they add so much sugar. Which is redundant since beets are naturally sweet. Thank you for posting this, I will be picking up the ingredients tomorrow!!!!!:-)
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