French Beetroot Salad Recipe | Earthy, Sharp, and Nutty

Lunch, Salads

Beetroot Salad

Roasted beetroot, sliced thin and arranged on a plate, dressed with a sharp Dijon mustard and lemon vinaigrette, scattered with toasted pine nuts and a handful of microgreens. Earthy, sharp, and a little nutty. A proper French starter that takes almost no time to assemble once the beetroot is done.

Obviously French March 5, 2026

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My husband is a huge fan of this deep purple vegetable, and this beetroot salad is one he asks for by name. Every so often, for convenience, he’ll grab the vacuum-packed cooked beetroot from the shop. And every time, without fail, he’s a little let down by it, and reminds himself that roasting them from scratch tastes ten times better. And let’s be honest, roasting beetroot is barely any work.

We eat it as a starter, or as a side with something like a broccoli fish bake, or, with a bit of goat’s cheese crumbled over, as a light lunch on its own. Do give it a go with properly roasted beets. I reckon you’ll wonder why you never made it before!

Where beetroot salad comes from

Beetroot has grown in French kitchen gardens since around the 16th century, arriving from Italy, where the swollen-rooted beet was developed. The French were suspicious of it at first, growing it as medicine and animal feed before anyone put it on a plate, but by the 19th century it was a fixture of home cooking and French menus.

The French dressing is what makes this salad: a sharp Dijon vinaigrette with its clean punch cutting through the sweet earthiness of the beets. (Dijon mustard has been made in Burgundy since the Middle Ages, there’s more on its history over on my baked trout recipe.) There’s a lovely old story that a mustard-mad medieval pope in Avignon created an official post of grand moutardier du pape for a useless nephew, giving rise to the phrase se croire le premier moutardier du pape, said of anyone who overrates their own importance. The French really do use it, though historians reckon the origin is more legend than fact. Nevertheless, it’s a good tale to enjoy!

Ingredients

Beetroot – Fresh and raw. Choose firm, similar-sized beets so they cook evenly. Skip the vacuum-packed pre-cooked ones, they’re a different thing.
Dijon mustard – The heart of the vinaigrette. Sharp, punchy, and what cuts the sweetness of the beets.
Wholegrain mustard – A little alongside the Dijon, for texture and a gentler heat. If you only have one, use the Dijon.
Red wine vinegar – The acidity in the vinaigrette. Red wine vinegar keeps it firmly in French territory (rather than lemon).
Olive oil – The body of the vinaigrette. A good one, since it’s tasted raw.
Shallot – Finely chopped into the vinaigrette for a gentle, sweet bite.
Pine nuts – Toasted, for a warm, buttery crunch against the soft beets.
Microgreens or pea shoots – Scattered over for freshness and colour.

How to make beetroot salad

1. Roast the beetroot

Scrub the beets but leave them whole and unpeeled, since the skin protects the flesh and slips off easily afterwards. Wrap them in foil and roast until completely tender to the tip of a knife. Then, once cool enough to handle, rub the skins off, they come away with your fingers. (Wear gloves or work quickly, or else you’ll have pink hands for the rest of the day!) Roasting whole and unpeeled is what keeps all that colour and sweetness in the beet rather than losing it.

2. Make the vinaigrette

Put everything, olive oil, red wine vinegar, both mustards, the chopped shallot, salt and pepper, into a jar and shake hard until thick and emulsified. Taste and balance it: it should be sharp and mustardy, with enough acidity to stand up to the sweet beets.

3. Assemble

Slice the peeled beets into rounds or wedges and fan them on a plate. Spoon the vinaigrette generously over while the beets are still slightly warm if you can, they drink it in better. Scatter over the toasted pine nuts and the microgreens, and serve.

Tools for this recipe

Check out my favorite kitchen essentials and cookware!

Use a roasting baking dish to roast the foil-wrapped beets.
Use a sharp knife to slice the roasted beetroot thinly and evenly.
Use a small glass jar to shake up and store the vinaigrette.

Tips for success

Roast, don’t boil: roasting concentrates the flavour and keeps the colour and firm texture; boiling makes beets watery and flat. It’s an hour, but it’s hands-off.
Roast them whole and unpeeled: the skin protects the flesh, keeps the colour in, and rubs off easily once roasted. Don’t peel or cut before roasting, or you lose colour and sweetness.
Dress them while slightly warm: warm beets soak up the vinaigrette better than cold ones, so dress them just after peeling and slicing if you can.
Watch the pine nuts like a hawk: they go from golden to burnt in seconds in a dry pan. Toast over medium heat, shaking the pan, and tip them out the moment they colour.
Keep the vinaigrette sharp: it needs enough acidity and mustard to cut the sweet, earthy beets. Taste it on its own, it should make you sit up slightly!

How to store it

This salad is very make-ahead friendly, which is part of why it’s such a good one for guests.
The roasted beetroot keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, whole and unpeeled in their foil, or peeled in an glass airtight container. The vinaigrette keeps for up to a week in a glass jar in the fridge, just shake it again before using. So you can have both ready and assemble in a couple of minutes.
Once assembled and dressed, it’s best eaten within a few hours, since the microgreens wilt and the pine nuts soften in the dressing. If you’re taking it somewhere, carry the components separately and assemble on arrival. Undressed roasted beets also freeze reasonably for a month, though fresh-roasted is nicer.

More salads recipes to try

→ Crispy Shaved Fennel Salad

→ Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

→ Refreshing Cucumber Salad

→ Fried Goat’s Cheese Salad

→ Summery Salad Niçoise

Variations

Add goat’s cheese or Roquefort: a little crumbled chèvre or Roquefort over the top turns this starter into a proper light lunch.
Swap the nuts: toasted walnuts or hazelnuts instead of pine nuts, both lovely with beetroot and a bit more robust.
Add orange: segments of orange or a little orange zest in the dressing, since orange and beetroot are a natural match.
Add horseradish: a little grated horseradish in the vinaigrette, for a sharper, more warming kick that suits the earthy beets.
Make it a full salad: toss the sliced beets and dressing through leaves, with the cheese and nuts, for a more substantial plated salad.
Use mixed beets: golden and candy-striped (chioggia) beetroot alongside the purple, for a prettier, multicoloured plate.

FAQ

Should I roast or boil beetroot for a salad?

Roast it. Roasting concentrates the flavour, deepens the sweetness, and keeps the beetroot firm and its colour vivid, whereas boiling makes it watery and washes out the colour. Roasting takes about an hour, but it’s completely hands-off, wrapped in foil in the oven.

How do I roast beetroot?

Scrub whole, unpeeled beets, wrap them individually in foil, and roast at 200°C (180°C fan) for about an hour, until tender to the tip of a knife. Larger beets take longer. Once cool enough to handle, rub the skins off with your fingers, they slip off easily.

How do I stop beetroot staining my hands?

Wear kitchen gloves when rubbing off the skins and slicing, or work quickly and wash your hands straight after. The colour does fade after a wash or two. A chopping board you don’t mind staining helps too.

What cheese goes with beetroot salad?

Tangy, creamy cheeses work best against the sweet earthiness of beetroot. Goat’s cheese (chèvre) is the classic, and Roquefort or another blue is lovely too. Crumble a little over the top to turn the salad into a light lunch.

Want to cook more French food?

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Want to cook more French food?

Recipes from my kitchen, cheeses, kitchen tips and what’s happening in my corner of France. Free mother sauces e-book when you subscribe!

Share your feedback and spread the love!

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which provide us a small commission when used for purchase. Please read my disclosure policy for more information. I am grateful for your support!

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