Vinegret Salad
Photo: Pannet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The classic Russian cooked-vegetable salad of beets, potatoes, carrots, pickles, and sauerkraut. It is naturally free of meat, dairy, and eggs, which makes it a staple on Lenten tables and on Christmas Eve.
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets
- 3 medium potatoes
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 cup sauerkraut, squeezed dry
- 4 dill pickles, diced
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pickle brine or red wine vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley
Instructions
Boil the unpeeled beets in one pot until a knife slides in easily, 35 to 45 minutes. In a second pot, boil the potatoes and carrots until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool until you can handle them.
Peel the vegetables and cut everything into small, even cubes.
In a large bowl combine the beets, potatoes, carrots, sauerkraut, pickles, and onion.
Dress with the oil and pickle brine. Toss gently so the beets stain the salad pink without smashing the cubes.
Taste and add salt only if needed. The pickles and sauerkraut already bring a lot of salt. Grind in black pepper and fold in the herbs.
Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Vinegret keeps 3 days in the refrigerator and is better on the second day.
Notes
Orthodox fasting: no meat, dairy, or eggs. Use sunflower or olive oil on oil-allowed days. On oil-free days, dress only with pickle brine. Cook the vegetables until just tender so the cubes stay distinct.