Simple Beetroot Salad With Walnuts Prunes And Avocado (Vegan)

Contains affiliate links; commissions may be earned.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Disclosure

Total Time:
27 minutes mins

Yields:
5 cups
Recipe

Rate/Comment

This simple beetroot salad recipe features cooked red beets, crunchy walnuts and pumpkin seeds, avocado and sweet dried prunes – all chopped and tossed with freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt. Have this simple Russian inspired beet salad as a quick healthy lunch or a lovely dinner side dish.

Easy simple beet salad adapted from Russian beet salad with walnuts and prunes.
Table of Contents

A Simple Beetroot Salad

Among all beetroot salad recipes this vegan beet salad with walnuts, avocado and prunes is probably the most easy beet salad to make. And if you cook the beets in advance it’s even quicker! This simple cold beet salad can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge until dinner.

The beets can be roasted, steamed, or boiled for this recipe. And just like my other beet salad recipes, this beetroot and walnut salad can be enjoyed either warm or cold. The fresh lemon juice along with crunchy walnuts and sweet prunes complement beautifully the taste of beets.

And if you want to turn this beetroot salad into a well-balanced vegan lunch, serve it with some tortillas or stuffed flatbread.

Sweet earthy beets with crunchy walnuts and prunes and lots of creamy avocado for a simple salad with Eastern European style.

This simple beetroot salad is also perfect if you’re trying to improve your digestion and for people who suffer from constipation. Because of it’s fiber rich ingredients, it will keep food moving through the digestive tract and help with elimination.

Best Way To Cook Beets For Salad

Roasting beets is tasty, but can take longer than other cooking methods. I prefer to steam the beets (to preserve water-soluble vitamins) it’s quicker and healthier. I cut them into quarters then steam them for 15-20 minutes. Way faster than boiling or roasting. See step by step details below.

Steaming the beets (peeled and quartered). You can do this in advance if you prefer a quick beet salad the next day.

Heads up: some are affiliate links & I may receive a small commission from qualifying sales. For more info
See This.

Essential Ingredients For This Beet Salad

The beets, walnuts and dried prunes are considered by the scientists as functional foods because they offer health benefits that extend beyond their nutritional value. So in this beet salad recipe, I’m using plenty of those:

Cooked beets – steam or use some roasted beetroot leftovers.
Avocado – fat is needed for helping the body to absorb nutrients from vegetables (they’re fat soluble). So avocado is a great substitute if you want your beet salad oil free!
Walnuts – for extra earthiness, richness, and crunch.
Prunes – adds texture and sweetness. When I buy prunes I’m trying to choose organic preservative free prunes, grown without the use of pesticides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers.
Pumpkin seeds – or any other seeds you like. Sunflower seeds, hemp seeds would also work.
Lemon juice – the tartness will brighten up the salad taste and slow down the avocado browning.
Sea salt – to intensify aromas and balance flavors.

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below.

Ingredients for a vegan beet salad.

How To Make A Simple Beet Salad

Step 1. Cook the beets (steam):

To steam beets, place in a steamer about 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cut the beetroots into quarters (after peeling), cover and turn down heat to medium. Steam for 15-20 minutes until you can easily pierce the beet pieces to the middle. You can also do this step 1-2 days in advance and assemble a quick simple beetroot salad in mere minutes.

Step 2. Gather ingredients and chop:

You need to chop the ingredients into small cubes (about 1/2 inch cubes) and place in a large bowl. Start with your avocado and drizzle the lemon juice on top to preserve the color longer. Then cube the dried prunes and the beetroot.

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix the salad.

Step 3. Combine all the ingredients and mix:

To that add the crushed walnuts, pumpkin seeds and season with salt. Gently toss. Taste, add more lemon juice or salt if needed. The beetroot salad may be garnished with freshly slivered onion or parsley.

Mixed cold beet salad, ready to serve!

Related: Creamy Beet Soup

Tip To Stop Beetroot From Bleeding In The Salad

Place the chopped beets in a bowl and add cold water with 1 tbsp of lemon juice (to cover), let them sit for a few minutes than drain and let dry before adding to salad.

Simple beet salad with vegan ingredients.

Beet Salad FAQs

Can I use raw beets in this beet salad?

Yes, beets can be eaten raw in a salad, they will bring some crunchiness. But if you prefer sweeter beets with a softer texture then use cooked beets in your salad.

How do you peel raw beets for salad?

Wash and scrub before peeling. Trim the top and cut the skinny tail off, and peel just like you would peel a potato. Use a vegetable peeler, it’s much easier. To prevent red-stained hands, wear gloves.

Which is better golden or red beets for making salads?

The two beets are essentially the same when it comes to nutritional value, but golden beets are a bit less sweet than red beets, and milder in taste.

How long is beet salad good for?

This particular salad, due to the avocado, will last for maximum 2 days in the fridge.

Easy Beet And Walnut Salad Add-ins

Give more substance to this vegan beet salad by adding some leftover cooked grains or beans.
Swap the nuts: if needed, these can be swapped out for almond, pecan, pine nuts or macadamia.
Add greens: arugula, kale, spinach, parsley or dill will also work.
Adding red onion or scallions can bring sharpness / crispness and usually pairs well with avocado beet salad.
Maybe some cheese: if you find some good vegan feta cheese, use it as garnish!

Vegan salad with beetroot, walnuts, prunes and avocado garnished with pumpkin seeds.

Storing The Beetroot Salad

Storing leftovers: Refrigerate the beetroot salad for up to 2 days in an airtight container but keep in mind the avocado might change it’s color after a few hours. Best when eaten the same day.

Other Simple Vegan Salads You Might like:

More Healthy Beetroot Recipes

Beetroot Juice Recipe (2 Ways) + Best Combinations

Roasted Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad (Simple Fall Harvest Bowl)

Russian Beet Salad With Sauerkraut (Vinaigrette)

Beetroot And Carrot Salad With Creamy Dressing

If you made this simple vegan beetroot recipe, then please leave a star rating or a comment below the recipe card.

Your feedback is really helpful for me and readers!

Print Recipe

Simple Beet Salad With Walnuts Prunes And Avocado (Vegan)

This simple beetroot salad recipe features cooked red beets, crunchy walnuts and pumpkin seeds, avocado and sweet dried prunes – all chopped and tossed with freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt. Have this simple Russian inspired cold beet salad as a quick healthy lunch or a lovely dinner side dish.

Cook Mode
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time
12 minutes mins
Cooking beets
15 minutes mins
Total Time
27 minutes mins
Course:
Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine:
Clean Eating, Dairy Free, Paleo, Russian Inspired, Vegan, whole30
Servings:
5 cups
Calories:
176.6kcal
Author:
Olga Caz
Pin Recipe
Save Saved!

Ingredients 1x 2x 3x

2 medium beets – steamed or roasted
2 small avocados – or 1 large (I used 1 and 1/2)
10-12 dried prunes
½ cup walnuts – crushed
2-3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice – freshly squeezed (adjust to taste)
½ tsp sea salt

Instructions

Cook the beets (steam):

To steam beets, place in a steamer about 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cut the beetroots into quarters (after peeling), cover and turn down heat to medium. Steam for 15-20 minutes until you can easily pierce the beet pieces to the middle.

Gather ingredients and chop:

You need to chop the ingredients into small cubes (about 1/2 inch cubes) and place in a large bowl.
Start with your avocado and drizzle the lemon juice on top to preserve the color longer. Then cube the dried prunes and the beetroot.

Combine all the ingredients and mix:

To that add the crushed walnuts, pumpkin seeds and season with salt. Gently toss. Taste, add more lemon juice or salt if needed.
The cold beet salad may be garnished with freshly slivered onion or parsley.

Notes

Raw Beets Or Cooked Beetroot For This Salad?
Yes, beets can be eaten raw in a salad, they will bring some crunchiness. But if you prefer sweeter beets with a softer texture then use cooked beets in your salad.

Tips for Making A Cold Beet Salad

Give more substance to this vegan beet salad by adding some leftover cooked grains or beans.
Swap the nuts: if needed, these can be swapped out for almond, pecan, pine nuts or macadamia.
Add greens: arugula, kale, spinach, parsley or dill will also work.
Maybe some cheese: if you find some good vegan feta cheese, use it as garnish!

Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyTasteOfLife or tag #healthytasteoflife!

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.

©HealthyTasteOfLife. Content and photographs are copyright protected and need prior permission to use. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to other websites and any social media is strictly prohibited. Sharing and using the link of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated!

Gluten Free Dairy Free Cookbook

284 pages total: 128 gluten free and dairy free wholesome recipes with photos (including paleo, whole30 and vegan recipes: all without refined sugar and processed foods.

266
shares