Beet Salad With Prunes
Beets are popular in many countries of the world. Among these countries are Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Beets are a very big part of Russian, Belarussian, and Ukrainian cuisine. They are used in soups (hot borscht, cold borscht, Ukrainian borscht), salads, and when making stuffed fish.
When it comes to salads, beet salads are popular in these countries and there two of these that everyone has at their dinner table when there are big gatherings or celebrations.
One beet salad is called shuba, which is a layered salad made with beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, and herring with a little bit of oil and mayonnaise. Another beet salad is beet salad with prunes. Below is a recipe for this beet salad. If you love beets you will enjoy this salad. And if you are not a fan of beets you just might fall in love with them once you give this salad a try.
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Beets
- Handful Prunes
- Few tablespoons Mayonnaise
- Salt
- Dried Parsley
- Minced garlic (optional)
- Walnuts (optional)
Optional Ingredients
I hate garlic and walnuts so I leave them out of this salad. If you love these two ingredients feel free to add them to the salad. They go great with it. You can also use pine nuts or Brazilian nuts instead of the walnuts.
You can also mix mayonnaise with some sour cream. I'd do the same proportion of each - one tablespoon of mayonnaise and one tablespoon of sour cream. Mix the two together and then add to the beet salad and stir before eating. Now you don't necessarily have to use this amount. If you prefer less mayonnaise and/or sour cream feel free to use less. If you prefer more feel free to use more. The amount you use really depends on your taste.
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the beets under running water, place in a pot, fill with water and place on medium heat. Boil the beats for about forty minutes or until they reach your desired tenderness.
- Once the beets have finished boiling, drain the water from the pot and place the beets in cold water. Let them sit in cold water for about ten minutes. Then drain the water and peel the skin off of each beet.
- Using a manual shredder, shred each beet into a salad bowl. You can use a food processor as well. If you use a food processor you might first need to cut the beets into smaller pieces so they fit into the processor opening. I prefer to use a food processor because it saves times and is less messy.
- Then take a handful of prunes, cut into slices and add to the shredded beets. Next sprinkle with salt, add a few heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise and stir. Finally sprinkle with dried parsley and stir again. You are now ready to enjoy your beet salad.
© 2012 Lena Kovadlo
