Easy Ensalada de Remolacha Recipe [Spanish Beet Salad]

If you love making Spanish salads with a twist, then you must keep reading this article.

Here we will show you everything you need to know about the fantastic ensalada de remolacha.

With this recipe, you will have the perfect Spanish salad to enjoy all year round, and you can have it done in just 15 minutes.

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Background of the Dish

While the classic ensalada de remolacha has been around for hundreds of years, canned beetroot salad is its newest version, dating back to the 1950s.

When selling canned ingredients became popular, vegetables were the big boom since they didn’t go bad, so people began to incorporate them into recipes for Spanish salads.

Today the ensalada de remolacha is one of the most popular salads from Spain, and it combines the staple flavors of the area, such as onion, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.

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Things You’ll Need for Ensalada de Remolacha

To make this Spanish-style salad you need canned beets, lettuce, red onion,  olive oil, and sherry vinegar as the main ingredient.

For other easy Spanish salad recipes, feel free to check the ensalada de aguacate and the Spanish green salad.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (350gr each) of sliced beets
• 1 red onion
• 200 gr feta cheese
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) walnuts
• 6 lettuce leaves 
• 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Ensalada de Remolacha – Step by Step Guide

1. To start making the recipe for cold beet salad you have to open the cans of beets and drain the liquid. If you don’t have sliced canned beets, then cut them into thin slices and place them in a large bowl.

2. Now peel and cut the red onion in julienne style. If you want it to have a milder flavor, then soak it in boiling water for a few seconds and drain it. Then take it to the Spanish salad bowl.

3. After that, chop the walnuts and crumble the feta cheese. Add it to the bowl.

4. Then, wash the lettuce leaves, dry them, cut them into smaller pieces, and put them in the bowl. You can leave them in larger pieces if you will use the lettuce to decorate your ensalada de remolacha.

5. Now, drizzle the canned beets salad with extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. After that, you just have to mix all ingredients of this Spanish salad until combined. Make sure that all of the ingredients get coated with the dressing.

7. For the final step on this ensalada española, take it to the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Substitution of Ingredients

As well as other Spanish-style salads, the ensalada de remolacha allows you to make a lot of changes to the ingredients, as long as you have the basic ones.

Canned beets are the main ingredient, you can replace them with regular beets, but keep in mind that you would have to add more cooking time to the recipe.

Besides that, the combination of olive oil and vinegar is the classic dressing for Spanish-style salads, but you can switch it from any other that you like, or add a few tablespoons of mayonnaise or cream cheese for more creaminess.

You can make this recipe with regular white onion, or replace the feta cheese with shredded manchego cheese.

Try the apple manchego salad recipe, if you love these kinds of fruity savory combinations.

Tips on Serving Ensalada de Remolacha

We love this beet salad with canned beets because it works as a side dish, or as a main dish if you serve a large amount.

You can also serve it during winter since it can be served at room temperature and you can find the ingredients all year round.

You can prepare other salad recipes from Spain and make a salad bar to serve this ensalada de remolacha for a special occasion.

The ensalada de remolacha goes really well with the Spanish rice salad, the Spanish summer salad, and the ensalada de bacalao.

How to Store Ensalada de Remolacha

You can store the ensalada de remolacha in the fridge for 3-4 days, but you shouldn’t put the dressing on it (only when you are about to eat it).

Avoid leaving the salad out of the refrigerator for a long amount of time, and be sure to check the expiration date on the can before using it for this Spanish salad.

Unfortunately, you can’t freeze the ensalada de remolacha, but keep in mind that it only takes a few minutes to make.

Other traditional Spanish salads that can be stored for a longer amount of time are the Spanish octopus salad, the Spanish tuna salad, and the Spanish seafood salad.

Recipe Card: Ensalada de Remolacha

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