Quick pickled beets tossed with chive oil, feta cheese, and pepitas.
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Quick pickled vegetables and fruits add accent notes to creamy entrées and create memorable sassy side dishes like this salad of roasted beets, feta and pepitas. For entrées, think pickled tomatoes added to creamy asparagus risottos or pickled apples tossed into a celery root mash like in these Vegetarian Cornish pastries. For a side dish, make this roasted beet salad.
If you want to turn this salad into a vegetarian entrée, just cook up some farro grain. While it's warm, add the feta and chive oil so that the cheese melts a little. Feel free to add just a little chèvre. Just before serving, toss in the pickled beets and top with pepitas or pine nuts.
By the way, another way to use beets is to spiralize them into spaghetti noodles. This recipe for beet noodles with whipped feta is amazing.
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Pickled Beet Salad with Chive Oil
Ingredients
- 4 medium beets
- 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup minced shallots about 1 large
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup feta cheese or other goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons Chive Oil or to taste or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Spicy Pepitas or pine nuts
Instructions
- Remove the beet greens and save them for another use, and slice off the root tails of the beets. Place the beets in a microwave-safe bowl and coat with olive oil. Cover with plastic and microwave until tender (this takes about 15 minutes in my microwave).When cool enough to handle, peel, dice and pile them into a jar.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour this liquid, the pickling juice, over the diced beets in the jar, and screw on a lid. Allow the beets to macerate in the pickling juice for 3 to 4 hours. If the pickling juice doesn't completely cover the beets, occasionally turn the jar upside down. When the beets are done pickling, drain them, and transfer to a bowl.
- Toss in the feta and drizzle Chive Oil over the salad. Top with pepitas or pine nuts.
- For a vegetarian entrée, add cooked farro grain.
cheri
What a gorgeous salad Susan, I love pickled beets, but have never actually made them myself, no idea it could be done in 3 to 4 hours. Thanks for the inspiration.
Erika
You always write such delicious, inspiring descriptions of your dishes! You have me craving some pickled vegetables ASAP. This weekend, I had the most delicious bibimpap bowl in Austin, but there were no pickled vegetables to be seen! It was sad, but they were still good of course. I'd love to try this salad, just gotta find me some beets!
Choc Chip Uru
Love the colour of those pickles beets it is so beautiful!
And makes the salad look even more refreshing 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Cass @foodmyfriend
I love pickling my own beetroot. My grandparents taught me 🙂
apuginthekitchen
So wonderful, I love pickled beets and your chive oil is such a great addition to the salad I have to make this salad.
lamnt
Very delicous ,i will try this .Thank you so much !
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I love pickled beets and always have a few jars of my homemade recipe in the pantry or fridge. The chive oil sounds really special. I'll give it a try this week for sure.
Oui, Chef
I love your technique of microwaving and quick pickling, I MUST try this!
Melissa
Made this for SRC Reveal Day and I couldn't be happier! I think i found my new favorite salad! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy you liked them, Melissa!!
SBO
That looks delicious! I like pickled foods.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
They're so good! I hope you give them a try! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Linda
This is a very tasty way to eat beets! I have high blood pressure, and they are one of the best foods for it. I just leave out the salt in the dressing, and don't even miss it!
Susan Pridmore
I'm so glad you liked it!! Thank you for letting me know how it worked for you.