Raw Citrus Beet Salad is a gorgeous, bright, and incredibly easy to make vegan super food side dish salad recipe bursting healthy flavor.
It will even have non-beet lovers asking for more.
Why this recipe works:
This easy vegetarian side dish is almost a cross between a salad and a coleslaw.
- Fresh beets have never tasted so good. It is seriously amazing how only a few ingredients can come together to create something with so much flavor.
- This recipe is easy to make. In as little as 15 minutes you can serve it up, although the longer it sits, the more the flavors develop.
- Delicious healthy ingredients! We're talking bright, vibrant super food.
- Even people who swear they don't like beets end up loving this raw beetroot salad.
How to make this recipe:
- Beets come with a thin layer of skin that will need to be peeled. Then remove the stem, shred beets, and add to bowl.
- Add zest and juice from entire orange. Add zest and juice from lime to taste (this amount is subjective).
- Add olive oil and toss to combine. Add salt to taste and toss, once again, to combine.
- Add chives just before serving.
Recipe tips:
- You can either thinly shave or grate the beets. Using a food processor with the grater blade will make easy work and easy clean up. You can use a box grater, but beets will splatter and stain.
- Don't discard the beet greens! You can throw them int a smoothie or saute them up as a side dish.
- The grated beets can be dressed and kept in the refrigerator, covered well, for a couple of days. They become more tender but don’t lose their texture, and the mixture becomes even sweeter as the beet juices mingle with the citrus. Toss again before serving.
Related recipes:
There are so many sweet and savory beet recipes that can be made with fresh or roasted beets. Here are some of my favorites.
- Beet Brownies
- Shredded Beet and Kale Salad
- Roasted Garlic Beet Hummus
- Red Velvet {Beet} Cinnamon Rolls
- Fresh Beet Soup
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Beet Potato Salad
- Roasted Beet Feta Salad
Raw Citrus Beet Salad Recipe
Fresh beets have never tasted so good. This vibrant fresh beet salad will even have non-beet lovers asking for more. This is a gorgeous bright super easy to make super food side dish.
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Scale:
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large beets (peeled and trimmed*)
- 1 valencia orange with zest
- 1 lime with zest
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt to taste
- ½ cup chives (minced)
Instructions
- Shred beets and add to bowl. Add zest and juice from entire orange. Add zest and juice from lime to taste (this amount is subjective).
- Add olive oil and toss to combine. Add salt to taste and toss to combine.
- Add chives just before serving.
Notes
- You can either thinly shave or grate the beets. Using a food processor with the grater blade will make easy work and easy clean up. You can use a box grater, but beets will splatter and stain.
- Don't discard the beet greens! You can throw them int a smoothie or saute them up as a side dish.
- The grated beets can be dressed and kept in the refrigerator, covered well, for a couple of days. They become more tender but don’t lose their texture, and the mixture becomes even sweeter as the beet juices mingle with the citrus. Toss again before serving.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 28.2mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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This post was originally created in July 2014 and has been updated with process photos, helpful information, and recipe tips. Don't worry - I didn't change the recipe!
Lois Luckovich
I've made a variation of this adding shredded carrots and copped walnuts with an orange juice dressing. The friend I made it for absolutely loved it. Raisins are also a nice addition
Lisa E Wills Keister
I’ve made this with red beets and golden beets. Love it!!!! This is the only way I’ll eat beets now and it’s a winner in my bi-weekly rotation. To be honest, plain beets taste like grass to me, but the citrus flavors make beets sing!!! I used a Cuisinart food processor (6-cup, heavy duty) with the fine shred blade, then I minced up the leftover chunky pieces with a chef’s blade. Ordinarily, I don’t cook with salt, but did add 2 T EVOO and 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt to my 3.5lbs worth of beet salad. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!!!
Jules
Great recipe, I love the orange and lime flavours with the beetroot, it’s a winner, many thanks 🙏
Desiree
This is the very best way to eat beets - the citrus dressing makes this an absolutely divine salad. I served it over power greens.
Kim
Wonderful summer recipe to not heat up the kitchen. Enjoyed it thoroughly.
Cynthia Crist
I found your recipe searching for different preparation offers as a way to consume my garden full of beets. This recipe caught my interest since there are few beet recipes where raw or uncooked beets are used. I love this salad idea! Kinda like coleslaw with similar crunch. I did not have a fresh orange when preparing so added a heaping tablespoon of orange marmalade. The sweetness definitely took it to “coleslaw” with the lime zest and juice it was excellent. Could add this to dome shredded cabbage for extra crunch and profound pinkness.
Christine
Made it and loved it. It is a fabulous summer salad. Recently, following the less-than-ideal food consumption that occurs over the Christmas and New Years holidays, I found myself craving this salad again. My fridge is stocked, and I’ll happily be making it again today!
Lori
I love this salad , can’t wait for my family to try it.
Eliza
Hey, can you please provide the sources of the statements you are making in the health benefits section above? Just wondering because by law, health claims cannot be made about a food or supplement unless proven in at least two double blind placebo trials with a large amount of participants. Thanks; can't wait to see the scientific research.
Krissy
Hi Eliza, As stated in the post, I just did a quick google search for "health benefits of beets" and I summarized what I found. I'm not making any specific claims and haven't collected any scientific research on my own; I simply summarized what I found. Personally, I love to eat anything I can grow in my garden and really just love the taste of fresh beets. Sounds like you're not a big fan of beets and/or don't believe they can be that good for you? 😉
Food Lover
This is literally a salad recipe and that’s all it has to be. If you are questioning that beets in general are healthy for you then just Google and read a scientific paper of your choice and conduct unnecessary experiments.
Kim Manning
This is my go to beet recipe. Its simple and fantastic. Sometimes I add spiralized carrots and/or apple. Getting ready to make for a worksite I coach at to demonstrate that beets can be yummy!
Monica
Huge fan of beets!! Can’t wait to try raw, this sounds amazing for summer time/ cookout season!!!
Excited!!
Krissy
Thanks, Monica! This salad is actually my favorite way to eat beets!
keith
Hi, I grew up hating the taste of beets. I heard about their health benefits so I decided t give them a 2nd chance. I bought Golden Beets and I tried your salad. It was awesome thanks.
Krissy
Glad you liked it! I've only made it with red beets, but will make it with golden beets from the garden this year!
Audrey
I made this salad but in Publix they have the raw beets already shredded and it may cost a little more but all the work is already done.and this salad is 😋
Terre
Really good! This will be my go to fresh beet salad, because I LOVE the citrus dressing. I used the whole lime and would have added another if I’d had one on hand. I didn’t include the oil, but did add sunflower seeds on top for extra color and healthy goodness.
Nadia
Wow, this was so simple and very good! I was skeptical about eating beets. My husband and I want to incorporate more healthy options into our family's diet to avoid cancer and diseases so this seemed like a good choice. It was a perfect and delicious choice! Love the earthy flavors of the beet and the citrus flavors combined. Thank you!
Cathy McInnis
Yummmm
Sunny
I found the dressing a bit sharp. Maybe a sour orange. I added a tbsp. Sugar and it perked it up. Great salad.
Brigitte
I made this for supper tonight and it was fantastic! So simple and yet so tasty. Added sunflower seeds and hemp seeds - it was amazing! Definitely a keeper!
Krissy
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Brigitte!!! Much appreciated, Krissy
LindySez
I've been a lover of beets since I was a kid, but almost always cooked. Love the sound of this raw beet salad, I might add a little ricotta or goat cheese to the mix. Thanks for the inspiration. Cheers ~ Lindy
Adam
I too need to confess that I only just started eating beets in my 30's. I'm pretty annoyed about this since they are so amazing. Only recently have I started to enjoy them raw. This beet salad looks pretty awesome, I'll have to pin so I remember to make it later!