Even when I was a young girl, this was one of my favorite side dishes. To the best of my recollection (and I am sure my mom will write to set me straight, if need be) my grandmother and mother always made it with canned beets. But perhaps that was just a modern convenience that came into fashion in the ’60 and ‘70s. I do not recall ever seeing a fresh beet until my husband’s stepmother showed me how she cooked them. The secret, she said, was to choose beets that are the same size so that when you cover them with cool water and boil them whole, all of the beets will cook in the same amount of time. And the peels slide right off! Perhaps I am easily impressed but that part seemed like magic.
As my own girls were growing up, we were a small family divided by the beet - two lovers, two haters - so I seldom cooked them, especially when my one fellow lover went off to university and I was sorely outnumbered by the haters. I’ve given up trying to convert the unconvertible so occasionally when my husband is traveling, I’ll make this dish and eat the whole darn thing myself. And this summer, when it was just Mom and I, we enjoyed it together. Divine.
Ingredients
5-6 medium beets (Total weight 1.4lbs or 650g, to give you an idea of size)
1/2 medium purple onion
1/2 cup or 120ml apple cider vinegar
Sea salt
Black pepper
Drizzle olive oil to serve
Note: As recommended, make sure to choose beets that are reasonably the same size so that they will be cooked through at the same time.
Method
Rinse the beets to remove any dirt and then cover them with fresh water in a medium sized pot. Cook over medium heat for 50-60 minutes or until sharp knife slides in easily. Cover with lid and leave to cool.
Drain the water and rinse the beets again. Put on an apron or otherwise protect your clothing from possible beet juice, then gently rub the peels off of the beets.
Rinse the beets again. Dry the beets on some paper towels then slice them a little thicker than 1/4 in or 6mm. Slice the onion as thinly as you can manage.
Lay the beets out in more or less one layer on a deep plate and sprinkle them with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Separate the sliced onion pieces and spread them over the sliced beets. Pour the vinegar over the whole plate and cover with cling film.
The salad can be served in as little as about half an hour. Or store it in refrigerator, covered tightly with cling film until the next day.
Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving, if desired.
Enjoy!
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Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays or shares recipes with the same ingredient or theme each month. This month our host is Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla and we are celebrating National Pickle Day on November 14th early with eight tasty pickle recipes.
We hope you all enjoy our delicious pickled creations this month and come back to see what we bring for you next month.
Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.
The Pickled Posts
- Cuban Sliders by Making Miracles
- Danish Smørrebrød (Open Sandwiches) with Remoulade by Caroline's Cooking
- Dill Pickle Hummus by From Gate to Plate
- Easy Pickled Sweet Peppers by Cherishing a Sweet Life
- Pickled Brussels Sprouts by Our Good Life
- Pickled Peppers by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Quick Pickled Beet Salad by Food Lust People Love
- Southern Fried Pickles by The Freshman Cook
- Zupa Orgokowa (Dill Pickle Soup) by A Day in the Life on the Farm
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