Vinegret is a Ukrainian and Russian beet and potato salad my grandmother and mom used to make every winter — colorful, earthy, tangy, and somehow better every day it sits in the fridge.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Salad Recipes
At A Glance
- ⏱ Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes (plus cooling time)
- 🍽 Serves: 8
- 🌱 Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- 💪 Nutrition Highlights: High in fiber, resistant starch, vitamins C and A, and antioxidants from beets
- 🥕 Main Ingredients: Beets, potatoes, carrots, dill pickles, green peas, fresh dill
- 🔥 Flavor Profile: Earthy, tangy, lightly herby — a vinegar-mustard dressing ties everything together
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Keeps well for up to 4 days in the fridge; tastes even better the next day
- Best Served With: Rye bread, grilled chicken, baked salmon, or as part of a festive spread
Vinegret is one of those salads that sounds simple — boiled root vegetables, pickles, peas, a mustard dressing — and then completely surprises you with how satisfying and flavorful it is. It’s a staple in Ukrainian and Russian home cooking, particularly in winter when root vegetables were the most reliable thing on the table.
My grandmother made the best version I’ve ever had, and this recipe is as close to hers as I can get. The vegetables are cooked until just tender, then diced into small, even cubes — that part matters, honestly, because the texture is everything here. Once everything comes together with the dressing, the salad needs a little time to meld, and it absolutely repays the patience. I’ve been making this my whole life, and it’s still the recipe I reach for when I want something that feels like home.
👩🍳 You might also like these recipes: Ukrainian borscht soup, ensalada rusa (Spanish potato salad with tuna), Korean carrot salad, roasted beets in vinaigrette, creamy potato salad with dill pickles, or avocado and beet salad.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this vinegret recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
The root vegetables:
- Beets — the heart of the salad. Raw beets are boiled in their skins, which helps them hold their shape and color. Three medium beets give you enough without overwhelming everything else. You could use pickled beets and reduce the amount of vinegar used in the dressing.
- White potatoes — I use standard white or Desiree potatoes. They hold their shape after boiling, which is essential — you want clean cubes, not mash.
- Carrots — they cook faster than the potatoes, so keep an eye on them and pull them out early.
The mix-ins:
- Dill pickles (gherkins) — essential. They bring the briny, tangy contrast that makes this salad so moreish. Use a good dill pickle rather than sweet pickles here because beets are sweet.
- Green peas — for color and a little sweetness. Fresh or frozen works beautifully; canned is also fine and very traditional. Look, any pickle will work at the end of the day.
- Red or white onion — finely diced for a bit of sharpness. If you find raw onion too strong, soak the diced onion in cold water for 10 minutes first to take the edge off.
- Fresh dill — adds brightness and that distinctly Eastern European herby note. Don’t skip it if you can help it.
- Cannellini beans (optional) — this is a common Ukrainian addition and one I love. They add a little protein and make the salad more substantial. Canned and drained is perfect, any white beans will work.
For the dressing:
- Olive oil — or unrefined sunflower oil for a more traditional, slightly nutty flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar — for tang.
- Fresh lemon juice — just a touch to brighten everything up.
- Dijon mustard — helps emulsify the dressing and adds depth.
- Salt, sugar, black pepper — a small amount of sugar balances the acidity beautifully.
How To Make Vinegret Beet Potato Salad
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make this beet and potato salad.
- Place the beets in a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes until a knife slides in easily but they still hold their shape. (Cook beets in a separate pot if you want to minimize the pink bleed — although everything will turn pink once combined anyway!)
- In a second pot, add the potatoes and peeled carrots with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20–25 minutes, checking the carrots at 15 minutes — they cook faster and should come out with tongs once fork-tender. Continue cooking the potatoes until done.
- Drain everything and let the vegetables cool completely — at least 1 hour. This can absolutely be done the night before and refrigerated.
- Once cool, peel the beets (wear gloves!), potatoes, and carrots. Dice into small, even cubes no bigger than 1 cm (about ¼ inch). Place the diced beets in a separate small bowl and toss with ½ tablespoon of olive oil before combining — this coat helps reduce how much color bleeds into the other vegetables.
- If using fresh or frozen peas, blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and rinse under cold water.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pickles, onion, dill, peas, and beans (if using). Then add the oil-coated beets and the remaining vegetables. Toss everything to combine.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Let the salad rest for at least 30 minutes before serving — a few hours is even better.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- Cut everything small and even. This isn’t just aesthetic — the small cubes mean you get a bit of everything in each bite. Aim for no bigger than 1 cm (¼ inch).
- Cook the beets separately. If you want to slow down the pink staining, cook beets in their own pot. That said, the whole salad turns pink once you mix it — which is honestly part of the charm.
- Toss the beets in oil before adding. This is the real tip for reducing color bleed: coating the diced beets in a little olive oil before combining creates a slight barrier.
- Make it ahead. This salad genuinely improves overnight. The flavors deepen, and the dressing soaks into the vegetables beautifully. It’s ideal for meal prep or a holiday table.
- Add cannellini beans. Completely optional, but adding a drained can of cannellini beans makes this more substantial and adds protein. This is common in Ukrainian versions of vinegret.
- Try it with sauerkraut. Another traditional variation — swap or supplement some of the pickles with a small amount of drained sauerkraut for a fermented, tangy twist.
- Use sunflower oil. Unrefined sunflower oil has a distinct, slightly nutty flavor that is closer to the original. Worth trying if you can find it.
- Storage: Keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Don’t freeze — the texture of the vegetables won’t survive it.
Serving Suggestions
Vinegret is traditionally served as part of a larger festive spread — think rye bread, meat rissoles, herring, maybe a bit of smoked salmon, and something warming alongside. That’s still my favorite way to eat it, especially in winter. But it’s just as good as a standalone lunch or a side dish at dinner.
Serve it with baked salmon or grilled chicken thighs if you want a more complete meal, or simply pile it on toasted sourdough for a quick, satisfying lunch. It holds up well at room temperature, too, which makes it a great addition to a picnic or a sharing table.
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Video
Ingredients
Salad:
- 3 medium beets raw, scrubbed (about 600 grams / 21 oz total)
- 3 medium white potatoes scrubbed (about 600 grams / 21 oz total)
- 2 large carrots peeled (or 3 smaller ones)
- 1½ teaspoons salt divided (for cooking vegetables)
- 4 large dill pickles gherkins, finely diced (about 1 to 1½ cups / 150–200 grams diced)
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- ½ medium red or white onion finely diced
- 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (or canned and drained) 150 grams / 5 oz
- 1 can cannellini beans 15 oz / 400 grams, drained and rinsed (optional)
Dressing:
- 5 tablespoons olive oil or unrefined sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the beets in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, until a knife slides in easily but the beets still hold their shape. For less pink bleed on other vegetables, cook beets in a separate pot from the potatoes and carrots.
- In a second pot, place the potatoes and peeled carrots and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 20–25 minutes, checking the carrots at the 15-minute mark — they cook faster and should be removed with tongs once fork-tender. Continue cooking the potatoes until tender.
- Drain all vegetables and let them cool completely, at least 1 hour. You can do this ahead — pop them in the fridge overnight.
- Once cool, peel the beets (wear gloves!), potatoes, and carrots. Dice everything into small, even cubes no bigger than 1 cm (roughly ¼ inch). Place the diced beets in a small bowl, drizzle with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, and toss to coat before adding to the salad — this helps prevent the beets from turning every other ingredient completely pink.
- If using fresh or frozen peas, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water. If using canned, just drain and rinse.
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the pickles, onion, dill, peas, and beans (if using). Then add the oil-coated beets and remaining vegetables. Toss to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving — it's even better after a few hours or the next day once the flavors have melded.
Beautiful salad, not something I’ve tried before. I was interested in diversifying my salad game with some new options and this popped up when I searched for beet salads. For anyone wondering if you should try it, I highly recommend it. A bit of chopping and dicing but worth the effortl
The color is so appealing. Salads are perfect for the summer. Gonna whip some tonight!
What a beautiful and vibrant salad!