Beet and Cucumber Salad
Updated Nov. 11, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 1 ½ hours
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1large shallot, finely diced
- 3tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
- 2tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1English cucumber, or 6 Persian, peeled
- 4 or 5small beets, boiled until tender and peeled (see Tip)
- 1small head of butter lettuce (optional)
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped dill
- 1tablespoon roughly chopped tarragon, plus some whole leaves
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
126 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 356 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the vinaigrette: Put shallot and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the Dijon mustard until it dissolves. Whisk in olive oil.
- Step 2
Halve cucumbers lengthwise, then cut each half into ¼-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Halve the beets and cut into ¼-inch-thick half-moon slices and place in a separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Add half the dressing to each bowl, and toss both to coat well. Let sit for 10 minutes or up to 1 hour at room temperature (you can also refrigerate, if desired).
- Step 4
Line individual plates with a few leaves of butter lettuce, if you like. Put a spoonful of beets and a spoonful of cucumber on each plate. Sprinkle each plate with dill, followed by the tarragon.
- To cook the beets, place them in a medium pot, and add water to cover by several inches. Bring to boil, then cook at brisk simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until easily pierced with a paring knife. Drain and let cool slightly. While still warm, the skins can be easily rubbed off.
Private Notes
Comments
Do not boil the beets. Make a tinfoil pouch, drizzle beets with olive oil and a touch of kosher salt. Seal the package and roast at 400 degrees for 39-45 minutes. Let cool and peel. Roasting intensifies the beets’ flavor, not boil it away,
@Josh truer words have never been said.
Trying this for lunch next week with eggs and perhaps feta.
This was good, but too much mustard in the vinaigrette. Next time I would halve the mustard and puree some of the herbs in the dressing. I added some feta to the salad and think it was a helpful addition. I roasted the beets in a foil pouch, as mentioned by Josh below.
@Carol the toasted beets in foil is the easiest hands-off way of cooking them then the outer skin slides right off. Goat cheese is also a very good combination. Scattered through or 1 inch slices of the log pressed down a bit and quickly toasted under the broiler for a “crunchy” version! Delicious!
I react to tarragon the way some people react to cilantro, I'm almost gagging just thinking of it... any idea what to sub? I love chives on anything but afraid they would overwhelm the rest of the salad, which sounds fabulous. Basil, maybe? Also, the vacuum packed beets that seem to be readily available are very tasty, and would save use of the oven and a pair of nitrile gloves I keep in stock for when I peel beets or pit cherries.
I would replace tarragon with finely chopped celery leaves.
Trying this for lunch next week with eggs and perhaps feta.