Polish Beet Salad {Surówka z Buraczków}
Before you say I don’t like beets, give me a chance. If you’re of Polish descent, beet juice flows through your veins. Trust me. Like cabbage, this stuff is in our DNA. If you’re not of Polish descent, I’ll make you a believer yet. You won’t be the first one either.
First off, no more canned beets for you… canned beets don’t even taste like beets really do… sweet with an earthy undertone. No shortcuts or substitutes this time. Roasted beets are delicious on their own, and with just a little help, they will do even better in a hot or cold salad.
I personally love beets. It’s my comfort food. I cook them often and I’ve published many recipes starring this healthy and hearty veg. Check out the SOUPS section for at least 5 different, Polish Beetroot Soup {Barszcz} recipes or this recipe for delicious creamy beets. Polish Beet Salad {Surówka z Buraczków}
Beets are cheap and plenty in Poland, perfect combo for creating many recipes for cold or hot soups (one of which is Christmas must, recipe here), salads and even hot sides. Some call for just the root, and some use the whole vegetable, no waste.
When beets are in season, we’d make jars and jars of them for the winter. When in need for a quick dinner side, downstairs I go to grab a jar and whip up a salad in a flash. Sometimes, I’d eat them out of a jar as a snack. When done right, they are just so pleasantly mild and yet defined, and the canning process here in the US just does not do them justice. Go ahead, make your own! Here is my recipe for canned/pickled beets [read more].
You can watch me make this and other recipes on my YouTube channel below:
Polish Beet Salad {Surówka z Buraczków}
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets
- 1/4 of an onion
- 1 tsp of oil
- Juice of 1/2 of a large lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp of sugar
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Cut stems off beets
and scrub to clean.Bake covered for about 1 hour. Take out and set aside to cool.
Once cooled off, peel and grate on the largest vegetable shredder. Add chopped onion, oil, lemon juice, salt and sugar. Mix and refrigerate to cool.*
That is that! Serve with dinner as a side dish, or eat on its own. Enjoy and smacznego!
Let me know if you share my love for beets and what’s your favorite beet dish below in comments.
Anna
Polish Beet Salad {Surówka z Buraczków}
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Do you have the recipe for kurzaki (Polish Wedding Chicken)?
I’ve never heard of “kurzaki”… can you explain what the dish was? Maybe I know a different name for it. Anna 😊❤️🇵🇱
Do you have a beet salad recipe made with shredded beets and sour cream?
I have a recipe for shredded beets with sweet cream, swrved hot called “buraczki zasmażane”. Planned on posting soon. Anna 😊❤️🇵🇱
I’ve been looking for this recipe for about 30 yrs. My mother used to make it often, and I loved it. Can you post the recipe, please.
Thanks!!!
Jerry, recipe posted!
I like barszcz but with the stalks boiled as well and poured over a mountain of mashed potatoes. It is difficult here in the UK to find beets with the leaves and stalks but when I can find them then its barszcz for the next few days. Also I like horseradish sauce and mix boiled beets into it as that takes away some of the bite but adds flavour to it.
Yes, you’re talking about “barszcz ukraiński”, I’ll make the recipe for the blog soon. Keep cooking! Anna 😊❤️🇵🇱
Dziękuję – I didn’t know what the type was.
Hi Anna. Do you have any great meals that I could impress my girlfriend with? She is polish and I love the food. My favourite is Żurek… mmmmm…. she makes an amazing Żurek. Thanks for your help. Dzięki i smacznego.
Allan, sorry for late reply… went to spam for some reason…
Oh man! The bar is high!! 🙂 Go with your instincts! Is she a huge meat-eater? Maybe the meatballs (posted recently)? Easy and very tasty! Pair it with this beet salad and new potatoes topped with butter and dill.
Hello Anna,
I’ve just now signed up to this sight. I wasn’t aware of it sooner. So far I like what I see. I’m not Polish but I love Polish foods. I used to live in a Polish community & my sister is married to a Polish man. His mother used to make the most wonderful cabbage rolls. These thumb size rolls were made with rice, and a small amount of bacon I believe, I’m not sure what else. Would you happen to have a recipe for these?
Thanks
Hi Rachel! Welcome! I hope you find some inspiration here. The recipe for cabbage rolls “gołąbki” here: https://www.polishyourkitchen.com/polishrecipes/polish-stuffed-cabbage-golabki/
Please browse through my RECIPE INDEX for more recipes.
Enjoy!
Anna
polish food
Could you boil the beets instead of bake them?
Yes, boil unpeeled though.
I love pickled beets, borscht, and deviled beets. Other than that I also like them simply boiled (or more quickly done in a pressure cooker with less water) and served with butter, or roasted. We love to steam the beet greens as well.
They’re really good for you
My MOM used to make what she called a cabbage roll. It was sourkraut chopped up with lots of onions that were sauted in crisco and lots of pepper. She used a box of bisquick and rolled the dough out then added the saurkraut mix. this got rolled up and the top was drizzled with crisco and baked . This is what i remember but i dont actually have the recipie What is this really called and do you have a recipie.
This sounds like a version of a “pasztecik” or a “krokiet” – dough filled with filling of choice, could be sauerkraut, mushrooms or meat. I have a recipe for sauerkraut filling: https://www.polishyourkitchen.com/polishrecipes/polish-sauerkraut-and-mushroom-hand-pies-paszteciki-z-kapusta-i-z-grzybami/
Thank you for this recipe! I made it recently and it was delicious! A different, light taste for beets for us instead of pickled. I do love them pickled though too! I am of Polish descent and grew up with some of these foods but many dishes are new to me. So happy to see your videos and clear directions. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Nancy
Happy cooking and smacznego!😊
Absolutely delicious.
When I was a child our Polish neighbour made a beet salad that tastes just like this one
I spent several years in Poland teaching English and learning Polish culture food and language. My best classes began with a food question that always stimulated discussion, even with beginner students. My favourite beet salad was made a colleague’s mother and she made it so quickly I couldn’t figure it out. But this tastes just like hers. Thank you! (She also introduced me to Ire Cognac[?], a potent egg noggy drink that blew my socks off!)