Beet and Potato Salad

To roast beets: set oven to 400 or so (25 degrees either way is fine, if you're cooking something fussier at the same time). Don't peel the beets! Cut off greens about 2 inches from the beet, saving them for another use. Put beets in an ovenproof pan with a lid or foil on top, and pop it in the oven. For ping-pong-ball-size beets, about 45 minutes; for tennis-ball-size beets, maybe 75 minutes; etc. Peel while beet is still hot; the skin slips off like a glove.

I'm going to guess that one roasts a large beet approxmately as long as one roasts a medium potato--but I'm not sure. How about including both time and temperature for beet-roasting? Never over-estimate the knowledge or experience of your readers.

This is, actually, not a version of Salade Russe; rather, it is a version of another equally ubiquitous salad in the Baltic states and along the western border of Russia, known as Russolye: beets, either boiled or roasted, and cubed, with boiled, peeled, and cubed potatoes, dressed in creme fraiche, soured cream, or smetanya, with dill and finely sliced scallions or slivers of yellow onion. It turns a Pepto-Bismol-on-steroids shade of pink.

This salad is beautiful, and tasty to the point of being addictive. I add green peas at the end, for extra color.

Add dill - always a good complement to beets

I made this luscious, colorful salad for a large group and doubled the recipe nicely. I had one humongous beet that almost weighed two pounds. I wrapped the beet in foil with olive oil and roasted it on a grill for about an hour and 1/2. This could certainly be done ahead of time. I used red potatoes and steamed them in a pressure cooker for about 10 minutes. The salad was delicious the next day. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

I'm a Southerner reared on mayo-drenched potato salad, but I will never make that mess again. This is absolutely delicious. I almost subbed out the champagne vinegar when I had a tough time finding it, but it's worth the drive across town.

I stayed true to the recipe, and will not change anything next time I make it. And there will be a next time.

Where I am from in Moscow, this is called 'Vinegret'! It seems like every Russian has their recipe for it, just like with the Russian potato salad -- 'Olivier.' My babushka's recipe would not call for celery but instead include diced up pickles, which can also substitute the vinegar element in the recipe. Mayonnaise is the preferred dressing, usually mixed with some sour cream, but yogurt (or just oil - sunflower or olive for dairy-free version) is perfectly fine for something a bit healthier!

I have made this any number of times, varying amounts of each ingredient based on what I have on hand. I love using different colored beets. I tend to use more yogurt and less olive oil and it is just fine. I also add extra eggs sometimes to make it a meal. It is always wonderful. BTW: I steam little potatoes (different colors if you can) and eggs in the same pot for 12 minutes and they all turn out perfectly. Saves some time!

To roast large beets, it's best to cut them into smaller pieces, so that they cook more quickly. A large one left whole can take 45 minutes to an hour. Cut in chunks, they'll only take 25 to 30 minutes. I normally toss peeled, cut-up beets in a little grapeseed oil, put them on a baking sheet, & cover them with foil; I check at 25 minutes, & if they're still not quite done, give them 5-10 more.

Delicious. Added capers, green onion (instead of red) and a little parsley.

I recommend using all red beets for this, I tried it with different colored beets and it kind of changed the flavor. Also mayonaise is a good substitute instead of yogurt. And it it better to let it refridgerate over night, the flavor tastes much better

I used 3 'fat' spring onions (scallions) instead of red onion, and had 2 medium golden beets already roasted, so used them. I added the mustard/salt/vinegar to the chopped beets/onion/celery for 30 mins while I prepared the rest. I steamed the eggs for 10 mins with the potatoes to save stovetop space! Like another reader, I also added a couple of tbsps of peas to the mix for color . Instead of just yogurt, I used a mixture of creme fraiche and yogurt, and a little less olive oil. Yum!

I steamed the beets and potatoes at the same time; it took less than 30 minutes. Ice water plunge for about 5 minutes, drained, and then set in the fridge while I got all the other things ready. It was easy enough to peel the beets after they had cooled a bit. Very delicious, and made for an excellent cold breakfast the next day with the addition of a chopped hard boiled egg.

I boiled my beets because I didn't actually read the recipe until I was preparing the dressing and it still turned out great! I'm sure I missed out on some flavor from the roasting process, but it ended up being less cleanup. I'm in love with the dressing! so classic and simple *chefs kiss*