Vinaigrette, Russian Beet Salad

Guest post by Lena from At OnMy Side of the World 

Hello. My name is Lena. I was born and grew up in Russia, and moved to the States about 8 years ago. Because I’m Russian, I wanted to share with you a recipe of one of my favorite winter salads that is a must for any get together in my country.

Russians eat a lot of beets, especially in the winter. We cook soups, salads, and side dishes with beets. The second most popular beet dish (after borscht) is a salad called “Vinaigrette”. Every time I hear the name of the dressing, it makes me smile because even though they sound somewhat similar, they have nothing in common. J There are different variations of this winter salad and add-ons but this is the basic recipe I’m using nowadays.

YOU WILL NEED:

2 carrots

2 medium beets

4 small potatoes

½ medium yellow or white onion

3 dill pickles

1 can green peas (or 1 cup frozen, cooked according to the directions on the package)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt, pepper to taste

HOW-TO:

First, wash potatoes, carrots and beets really well. Don’t peel. Put the veggies in one or two pots, add enough water to cover and bring to boil. Cook on medium heat until soft and done. I usually cook potatoes and carrots separately from the beets because the beets take longer (about 25-30 min. for beets and 15-20 min. for potatoes). But you can also start cooking beets first and then add carrots and potatoes to the same pot a little later.

Drain boiled vegetables, cool and peel:

Chop all of the veggies nicely: 



 Mix together, add oil and season to taste. And that’s it, it’s ready to serve! I hope you enjoyed this little introduction into Russian cuisine today. На здоровье (Bon appetite)! 





If you are reading this post anywhere else but at Family Home and Life then it was used without permission! Please report it! Copyright © Family Home and Life 2010-2013 All Rights Reserved