Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (2024)

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Roasting enhances the sweetness of the beets while creamy horseradish sauce adds a touch of heat.

By

J. Kenji López-Alt

Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (1)

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated January 27, 2024

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Why It Works

  • Roasting beets in foil concentrates their flavor while keeping them juicy and tender.
  • Hot horseradish is a classic pairing with sweet, earthy beets.
  • Pistachios add texture and a toasty, nutty flavor.

I typically think of beets as a late-fall or winter vegetable, since they store very well after their growing season. But early to mid-summer is the best time to enjoy the sweetest, smallest beets of the year. Beets and horseradish are a classic Slavic/Jewish combination, and I think they work particularly well when those beets are roasted to enhance their sweetness and the horseradish comes in the form of a creamy sauce.

I start by roasting beets using mytried-and-true method: I form a pouch out of aluminum foil; place the beets inside with a little bit of oil, salt, and pepper (you can also add some herbs for extra aroma if you like); then seal it tight and throw it on a tray and into a 375°F (190°C) oven. The beets end up roasting in their own steam, which gives them a deep beet-y flavor. As soon as they're tender enough to pierce easily with the tip of a toothpick or a metal skewer, they're done; it should take about an hour and a half total. You can poke your toothpick or skewer straight through the foil to test.

Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (2)

The best part is that roasting beets like this makes them extremely easy to peel. Their skins slip right off under cool running water.

While the beets roast, I toss together the horseradish cream, which is as simple as it gets: crème fraîche andprepared horseradish, seasoned to taste with some salt and pepper. This combo, by the way, isn't good for beets only—it's an excellent sauce for cold roast beef or steamed asparagus, or on seared tuna or a potato salad or any number of other cold or green dishes. Horseradish and crème fraîche is one of my go-to combos.

Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (3)

I let it sit in the fridge (after doing a few extra taste tests with my finger, of course) to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to mingle as the beets finish up.

Beets love horseradish, but, as with any proper love affair, they need a little saucing up first. I like to give the beets a base layer of flavor by tossing them with a simple vinaigrette made with minced shallots, lemon juice, and olive oil, flavored with a touch of honey—I love the way the sweetness of honey brings out the natural earthy sweetness of the beets—and some minced tarragon and chives.

To serve, I pool some of the horseradish cream in the bottom of a bowl, then pile the beets on top.

Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (4)

It's really delicious, and near perfect as is, but if you're feeling a little experimental, there's no harm in inviting a third guest to the party. Pistachios are another classic and natural pairing with beets—they add texture and a great toasty flavor to the mix.

Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (5)

April 2017

Recipe Details

Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe

Prep10 mins

Cook90 mins

Active20 mins

Total100 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

For the Beets:

  • 2 pounds (about 1kg) beets, unpeeled, greens removed, scrubbed clean

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml)extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Horseradish Crème Fraîche:

  • 4 ounces (100ml) crème fraîche

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) prepared horseradish, store-bought orhomemade

For the Dressing and to Serve:

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml)fresh juice from 1 lemon

  • 1 tablespoon (about 5g) mincedfresh tarragon

  • 1 tablespoon (about 5g) minced fresh chives

  • 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons; 15g)

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml)honey

  • 3 tablespoons (45ml)extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 ounces pistachios (115g), toasted and roughly chopped

Directions

  1. For the Beets: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Fold a 12- by 24-inch sheet of aluminum foil in half to form a square. Crimp together foil on 2 sides of the square to form a pouch with an opening on one side. In a medium bowl, toss together beets, 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste until beets are coated. Add to pouch and crimp remaining side to seal. (If using beets of multiple colors, roast in separate pouches.)

    Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (6)

    Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Roast until beets are completely tender and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into a beet through foil meets little to no resistance, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel by gently rubbing skin under cold running water. Cut beets into 1 1/2–inch chunks. Beets can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (7)

  2. For the Horseradish Crème Fraîche: In a small bowl, stir together crème fraîche and horseradish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

    Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (8)

  3. For the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, tarragon, chives, shallot, and honey. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while stirring vigorously with a fork. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. To Serve: In a large bowl, toss beets with dressing. Spoon half of crème fraîche mixture on the bottom of a serving plate. Place beets on top and drizzle with remaining crème fraîche mixture. Sprinkle with pistachios and serve.

    Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (9)

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, aluminum foil

Read More

  • Beet and Citrus Salad With Pine Nut Vinaigrette
  • Roasted-Beet Salad With Goat Cheese, Eggs, Pomegranate, and Marcona Almond Vinaigrette
  • Roasted-Beet and Citrus Salad With Ricotta and Pistachio Vinaigrette
  • How to Roast Beets
  • Gluten-free Salads
  • Vegetarian Salads
  • Roasted Vegetables
  • Pistachios
  • Beets
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
496Calories
38g Fat
35g Carbs
11g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories496
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g49%
Saturated Fat 10g51%
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 684mg30%
Total Carbohydrate 35g13%
Dietary Fiber 8g29%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 16mg78%
Calcium 95mg7%
Iron 3mg19%
Potassium 1049mg22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why not peel beets before roasting? ›

No need to peel before or after baking. The skin, which is perfectly edible, just seems to disappear during the baking process. The trick to pan-roasted beets is to drop the temperature a bit. I always roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and pretty much all the other veggies at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Is it better to roast or boil beets for salad? ›

The softest texture will be the boiled beets, the roasted beets will be tender, but will still have a little “bite” to them. The steamed beets will be somewhere in the middle. If using the beets in a salad, or serving them as a side dish, I prefer the roasted or steamed beets.

What do you eat with beet horseradish? ›

The horseradish lends the relish a unique heat that tickles your nose while grated beets provide an earthy sweetness. I like to pair it with sausages or other roasted meats (which is quite typical) —but sometimes eat it with nothing more than a cracker.

How do you keep beets from bleeding when roasting? ›

Whatever the cooking method, you can minimize bleeding by not peeling the skin and by not slicing off the tops of the beets. Peeling after cooking is simple; the skin slips right off with a paper towel.

Why are roasted beets bitter? ›

One of the reasons for this is that beets can absorb a lot of minerals from the soil in which they're grown, giving them an earthy and sometimes sweet or bitter flavor, depending on how they're cooked. Beets are delicious roasted, grilled, microwaved, steamed, boiled or air-fried.

Do you have to peel beets for salad? ›

They can be roasted, boiled or steamed, and even eaten raw — thinly sliced or shredded beets add an interesting crunch to salads. Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling.

What is the tastiest way to eat beets? ›

Here are five of our favorite ways to eat beets.
  1. Raw! – Yes, beets are quite good raw. ...
  2. Roasted with goat cheese. – The classic, all-time favorite preparation. ...
  3. In a salad. – Beets make a good complement to other salad staples. ...
  4. Pickled! – Pickled beets are just marvelous. ...
  5. As dessert.

How do you make beets more flavorful? ›

Although you cannot do much about the texture, my advice would be to throw in a lot of seasoning. Bring out the flavour of the beets. Season with salt, pepper, spices of your choice, and top it all off with some olive oil. Seasoning is key.

Are roasted beets still healthy? ›

Some benefits of eating beets may include lower blood pressure and better athletic performance, among others. Eating beets raw or juicing and roasting them may be more beneficial than boiling them. Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a vibrant and versatile type of vegetable.

Are oven roasted beets good for you? ›

Health benefits of beets include more stamina during exercise, heart disease and stroke prevention, and lower blood pressure. You can roast, grate, or put them into soups and salads. If you're prone to kidney stones or gout, avoid beets or limit how much you eat.

How do you make beets taste like meat? ›

Cure your vegetables as you would a piece of meat for a couple of days. This can be achieved by rubbing the vegetable or mushroom with salt at a concentration of 1.75% of the vegetable's weight, wrapping it tightly in plastic or vacuum sealing it, and letting it sit in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Does horseradish cleanse the liver? ›

Horseradish: This is an important root that helps to digest fat, which eases the liver's job of digesting fats. When consumed, horseradish can also help to regenerate and heal the liver, which helps to keep the liver cleansed from bad eating habits.

Is horseradish an inflammatory food? ›

Horseradish root is also known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial characteristics and is consequently used for the treatment of acute sinusitis, bronchitis, and urinary bladder infection [2–5].

What pairs with beets? ›

Some foods that mix well with beets include goat cheese, arugula, walnuts, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Other complementary ingredients include orange, dill, horseradish, and sour cream. Beets also pair well with meats such as chicken, fish, and pork.

Is it better to peel beets before cooking? ›

Forget what you thought you knew about food prep: You don't HAVE to peel your vegetables (well, most of them, anyway).

Is it OK to peel beets before cooking? ›

Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling. (Some people are happy to leave the skins on; they are fine to eat.) You can also pickle cooked beets.

Is the skin on beets good for you? ›

Most people do peel beets, because the skin is a bit unattractive and can be dirty even after a good scrub. But beet skins are rich in nutrients and perfectly fine to eat too.

Should you eat the skin on beets? ›

Every part of the beet—from the stem to the bulb—is edible. If you're using the whole beet, be sure to wash it well before cooking to get rid of any fertilizers or dirt. You can peel the beet before cooking or eat it with the skin on. Beets have a distinctive, earthy flavor.

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