Cucumber Beet Salad
This simple cucumber beet salad is easy to prepare and loaded with amazing flavors. It combines sweet beets, crunchy cucumber, fresh herbs and a tangy lemon dijon sauce. Highly customizable, super healthy, perfect for the summer and this version is naturally vegan and dairy-free.
Servings: 4
Calories: 106kcal
Ingredients
- 3 small-medium beets red or golden
- 1 English cucumber or 2-3 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced or cubed
- ½ small red onion sliced or cubed
- ⅓ cup fresh mint
- ¼ cup fresh Dill
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
For the lemon dijon dressing
- 3 tbsp lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 small clove of garlic crushed
- 1 tsp tahini (or 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil) optional
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cooking your beets: pre-heat the oven to 400º and cover the beets (unpeeled) with foil. Bake until tender, about 50-60 minutes. Cooking time will vary widely depending on the size of your beets, so check for doneness by pocking them with a knife. They are ready when the knife go through easily and the beets feel soft and tender. Alternatively, you can boil the beets in water for 20-30 minutes.
- When done cooking, remove them from the foil wrapping (careful, they will be steamy hot!) and then, remove their peels by rubbing on them. I like to do this in a large bowl of cold water or simply under running water. You can also remove the root end using a knife. Then, slice or dice the beets as you wish and set aside.
- While the beets are cooking, make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, dijon, sweetener, nutritional yeast, tahini (or olive oil) garlic and salt. Taste and adjust flavor to your preference.
- To serve, layer on a large plate the sliced beets, cucumber, fresh mint, dill, red onion and drizzle the dressing over. Check out my quick video to see how I do this. You can also dice the vegetable and toss everything in a bowl, although this will turn the salad completely pink! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage: keep any leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. The salad feels more fresh when the dressing is kept apart.
- More ingredients you could include are: avocado, oranges, green lettuce, walnuts, vegan feta cheese, balsamic glaze, quinoa, roasted tofu, radishes, etc. Be sure to check out my blog post for more ideas!
- For a quicker recipe, you can use vacuum sealed already cooked beets at the grocery stores. Canned beets (not marinated!) would also be ok to save some time.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Nutrition
Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg