This Beet and Potato Salad is a yummy side dish from Ethiopia. It is both vegetarian and vegan, is perfect for balancing out the spiciness of an Ethiopian meal, and can be served either warm or cold.
Recipe Origins
This recipe is a dish from Ethiopia that is delicious served with Injera and Doro Wat! Vegetarian/vegan/plant-based foods are very popular in Ethiopia. A majority of the country is Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, meaning that they eat strictly vegan food on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year.
This means that Ethiopia is a great place to travel if you’re on a restrictive diet, as many restaurants and home cooks are bound to have plant-based options!
This Beet and Potato Salad recipe is my favorite vegan option from Ethiopia. It is easy to throw together and is a great side dish to round out your Ethiopian meal.
Why Make this Recipe
- Fresh Side: Ethiopian food can be quite spicy, so I loved this beet and potato salad as a way to cool down the hot-factor on our Ethiopian meal.
- Served Warm or Cold: I also love this side dish because it can be served so many ways! When it was warm, I ate it directly out of the pan… like a lot of it. But it’s also delicious served cold, and would be a yummy side for a summer barbecue! Or, of course, your delicious Ethiopian feast.
- “Travel” to Ethiopia: Traveling to Ethiopia is on my bucket list, but it’s not in the cards for my travel plans just yet! Making a complete Ethiopian meal (including Doro Wat and Injera) is a great way to experience the tastes of Ethiopia from the comfort of your own kitchen!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
- Beets: Do not peel the beets before cooking. The skin is so much easier to get off of the beets once the beets have been cooked completely.
- Potatoes: I used medium-sized golden potatoes. Make sure that you peel the potatoes before cooking (though you also can leave the peel on if preferred).2 tsp salt, divided
- Onion: I used a sweet, medium yellow onion.
- Ginger: Use a spoon to peel the skin off of the fresh ginger root. You can then grate it on a cheese grater or even a zester to get the ginger pulp that you will put in the recipe.
- Others: Garlic, vegetable oil, ground mustard
Tools
- Large Pot (2)/Large Skillet: My very favorite pots and pans set is my Cuisinart set. You can buy them online!
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker (Optional): I love cooking the beets in the pressure cooker because they were ready within 20-25 minutes instead of 45 minutes. You can cook the beets either way!
- Knife Set: You will need a sharp knife to cut the potatoes and the beets.
- Cutting Board: You will need a cutting board to cut the potatoes and the beets.
How to Make this Recipe
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Step 1: Cook the Beets
Cut the greens and most of the tail off of the beets. Fill a large pot with water and add the beets, making sure that the water covers the top of them.
Turn the stove to high heat, and boil for about 35-40 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. For a quicker solution, you can also cook them in the Instant Pot.
When the beets are done, run them under water to cool them off. Use your hands to peel away the skin of the beet. Cut each beet into bite sized pieces.
Step 2: Cook the Potatoes
While the beets are cooking, peel the golden potatoes. Cut them in half, then cut each half into sixths (each potato should be about 12 pieces).
In a separate, large pot, add water and about 1 tsp salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the potatoes into the water and cook, uncovered for about 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 3: Cook it All Together
In a large skillet, add the vegetable oil and the chopped onion. Heat until the onion begins to cook and turn translucent.
Then add the ginger, garlic, ½ tsp salt and ground mustard into the onions and stir to combine.
Once this mixture becomes fragrant, add the cooked potatoes and beets. Stir until they are fully coated with the onion and seasonings.
Remove to a separate bowl and season with more salt to taste. Serve chilled (traditional) or warm. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- You can easily cook your beets in an Instant Pot if you’d prefer. To do this, add the beets onto the trivet and set the timer for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size. The larger the beets, the longer the cook time. At the end of the timer, perform a quick release. If you open the lid and the beets aren’t soft enough, put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the beets have cooled, use your fingers to remove the skin. It should slide off very easily!
- I’m going to get gross for a second, but just bear with me okay…. If you go to the bathroom the next day, and it all looks a little red… don’t freak (like I may have…). It’s just the natural dye from the beets! Okay, moving on? Moving on.
- Some versions of this recipe also call for lemon juice. You can add this for an extra touch of freshness if you wish!
Recipe FAQs
Is it Better to Boil or Steam Potatoes for Potato Salad?
Either is totally fine. Some say that boiling the potatoes can get them a bit waterlogged, but I find that, as long as I don’t OVER boil the potatoes, boiling seems to work just fine.
I like the boil method, but if you’d prefer to steam your potatoes you can certainly do so!
How Long Will this Salad Stay Good?
Keep your salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last for up to a week!
Did you love this recipe for Beet and Potato Salad? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes that I picked out just for you:
- Doro Wat Recipe from Ethiopia
- Potato Pancakes (Draniki) from Belarus
- Cumin Roasted Potatoes (Jeera Aloo) from Bangladesh
- Borscht Soup from Belarus
- Austrian Cheese Spread (Liptaur) from Austria
Beet and Potato Salad
Equipment
- Large Pots
- Large Pan
- Knife Set
Ingredients
- 3 Medium sized beets
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 5 medium, gold potatoes, peeled and ch
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp ginger
- 2 tsp garlic
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground mustard
Instructions
- Cut the greens and most of the tail off of the beets. Fill a large pot with water and add the beets, making sure that the water covers the top of them. Turn the stove to high heat, and boil for about 35-40 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. For a quicker solution, you can also cook them in the Instant Pot (instructions in the notes section of the recipe card).
- Peel the golden potatoes. Cut them in half, then cut each half into sixths (each potato should be about 12 pieces).
- In a separate, large pot, add water and about 1 tsp salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the potatoes into the water and cook, uncovered for about 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- When the beets are done, run them under water to cool them off. Use your hands to peel away the skin of the beet. Cut each beet into bite sized pieces.
- In a large skillet, add the vegetable oil and the chopped onion. Heat until the onion begins to cook and turn translucent.
- Then add the ginger, garlic, ½ tsp salt and ground mustard into the onions and stir to combine.
- Once this mixture becomes fragrant, add the cooked potatoes and beets. Stir until they are fully coated with the onion and seasonings.
- Remove to a separate bowl and season with more salt to taste. Serve chilled (traditional) or warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Beets: Do not peel the beets before cooking. The skin is so much easier to get off of the beets once the beets have been cooked completely.
- Potatoes: I used medium-sized golden potatoes. Make sure that you peel the potatoes before cooking (though you also can leave the peel on if preferred).2 tsp salt, divided
- Onion: I used a sweet, medium yellow onion.
- Ginger: Use a spoon to peel the skin off of the fresh ginger root. You can then grate it on a cheese grater or even a zester to get the ginger pulp that you will put in the recipe.
- Others: Garlic, vegetable oil, ground mustard
- Large Pot (2)/Large Skillet: My very favorite pots and pans set is my Cuisinart set. You can buy them online!
- Knife Set: You will need a sharp knife to cut the potatoes and the beets.
- Cutting Board: You will need a cutting board to cut the potatoes and the beets.
- Instant Pot Instructions: You can easily cook your beets in an Instant Pot if you’d prefer. To do this, add the beets onto the trivet and set the timer for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size. The larger the beets, the longer the cook time. At the end of the timer, perform a quick release. If you open the lid and the beets aren’t soft enough, put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the beets have cooled, use your fingers to remove the skin. It should slide off very easily!
- Some versions of this recipe also call for lemon juice. You can add this for an extra touch of freshness if you wish.
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