Beets have been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries. Ancient Romans believed that beets and their juice promoted amorous feelings. Frescoes of beets decorate the walls of the Lupanare brothel in Pompeii. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, ate beets to enhance her appeal. This quaint folklore actually has a basis in reality. Beets are a natural source of tryptophan and betaine, both substances which promote a feeling of well-being. They also contain high amounts of boron, a trace mineral which increases the level of sex hormones in the human body. While beets might not seem very romantic, they’re actually a very stimulating little root veggie!
My husband’s niece Sharone shared this simple beet salad with me. She’s from a Moroccan Jewish background, and she’s a champion in the kitchen. Sharone is responsible for teaching me some of my very favorite mezze dishes. Her tasty salad combines the sweet earthiness of freshly roasted beets with the mild spiciness of red onion. When left to marinate, it takes on a rich and lovely red hue. You might want to serve this one for Valentine’s Day, by candlelight. With such a vibrant color and flavor, it’s bound to spark some passionate feelings at your dinner table!
To learn how to roast beets, click here.
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Roasted Beet and Red Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 6 medium red beets (about 2 ½ lbs), roasted (to learn how to roast, click here)
- 1 small red onion, sliced very thin
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Remove knobs and tails from the roasted beets and peel off skins. Cut into 1/2 inch square cubes and place in a salad bowl. Add red onion slices to the bowl.
- Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and cumin. Pour mixture over the onions and beets. Stir gently until beets and onions are evenly coated with the oil mixture.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, then serve.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Other Great Recipe Ideas
Recipe Girl: French Lentil and Roasted Beet Salad
Weelicious: Sweet Beet Cookies
Simply Recipes: Pickled Beets
Leite’s Culinaria: Salt-Baked Carrots and Beets
Ilke’s Kitchen: Cream of Beet Soup
Tori, for those who don’t want or aren’t able to use vinegar, I found that this recipe also works well substituting lemon juice for vinegar. Also, the amount of oil used may also be reduced a bit. Let your tastebuds tell you how much to use of these products, but don’t test it immediately after adding; let it marinate a little so you get a more accurate taste of the final product.
Beings from Russia, prefer this salad without cumin. Try adding some walnuts and garlic instead
Also great with picketed herring
I’ve only eaten beets twice in my life and found them eh. For some reason this recipe caught my eye and I decided I needed to make it, even though I’ve never cooked them. Followed this recipe (and your rising roasting recipe) exactly and this is AWESOME!! Definitely a keeper recipe for us.
Glad I helped change your mind! 🙂
Great Recipe!
One tip: wear gloves when cutting the beets. Beet juice stains!
Also, this goes great with chulent.
So easy and so delicious!! Love this recipe, it will be a regular in our house now. Thanks!
Boiled, of course! ?
I have a quantity of frozen boiked beetroot. How couid i enhance that to make it worthy of this recipe please.
Sandra, I’m not sure what “boiked” beetroot is?
I think they were trying to say “boiled beetroot” which I think is the same as a beet.
The recipe is yummy. Thanks, Tori.
2 questions: what happened to the “Shiksa in the Kitchen” header? That;s what got me into your blog world as I am one, too.
Next: can you tell me anything about the bowl used to serve the beet salad? I have some hand-painted tiles from East Jerusalem bought in 1967 and made into a beautiful table. The painting on this bowl reminds me of some of the work I saw back then.
Thanks, Tori! I will do just as you suggest. You are right, I am making it ahead for the holiday. So excited to cook – and all your recipes and pictures have been most inspiring! Thank you again.
Nancy
Hi! How long do you think this might keep in the fridge?
Hi Nancy! It will last for 2-3 days in the fridge, but if you’re making ahead for the holiday, I suggest roasting and the dicing the beets and slicing the onions ahead of time, refrigerate till a couple hours before dinner, let the beets return to room temperature, then toss with the dressing 1-2 hours before serving. It will look prettier tossed fresh. Leftovers won’t look as nice, but they’ll keep for 2-3 days and still taste good. Enjoy!
What type of vinegar do you like to use for this?
White vinegar.
Hi Tori! Thank you very much for link! I do love anything with beets, especially after I discovered the dishes beyond pickled ones 🙂
This salad sounds like a winner for Raki table in a Turkish household 🙂