Recipes
South Africa

Beetroot Salad

A tangy, vibrant South African salad of cooked beetroot in a sweet vinegar dressing.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium beetroots
  • 1 small onion, finely sliced
  • ¼ cup vinegar (brown, apple cider, or white)
  • 2 tbsp sugar or honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: fresh parsley, mustard seeds, orange zest

Method

  1. 1

    Boil whole beets for 30–40 minutes OR roast at 200°C until tender. Slip skins off once cooled.

  2. 2

    Cut into rounds or bite-sized pieces.

  3. 3

    Mix vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Heat slightly to dissolve sugar.

  4. 4

    Add onion slices and optional parsley. Pour dressing over warm beets.

  5. 5

    Chill before serving for deeper flavour.

Swaps & variations

  • Add feta and rocket
  • Add grated carrot and cabbage for a slaw
  • Add cumin for earthy flavour
  • Add oranges and mint for a fresh summer salad

Storing & freezing

Keeps 4–5 days refrigerated. Do not freeze cooked beetroot salad (texture becomes watery).

Grow it yourself

  • Beetroot: Sow directly (beets dislike transplanting); prefers cool seasons; keep soil moist; thin seedlings early
  • Onions: Start from sets or seed; full sun and loose soil
  • Parsley: Prefers partial shade in hot areas; keep soil consistently moist
  • Use garlic spray for aphids on beet leaves
  • Rotate beetroot beds yearly to prevent soil fatigue
  • Add wood ash around seedlings to deter cutworms
  • Encourage ladybirds to manage soft-bodied insects
  • Beetroot: Harvest golf-ball to tennis-ball size; leaves are also edible; twist stems instead of cutting
  • Onions: Harvest when tops dry and fall over; cure before storing

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