Raw Beet Carrot and Apple Salad with Mint Cumin Vinaigrette
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This raw beet salad with carrots and apples is a fresh take on coleslaw. The mint and cumin vinaigrette is ridiculously flavorful. This mayo-free side dish is perfect for your summer BBQs and winter dinners alike!
This salad will remind you of summer: hot days, sweet vegetables, and sunshine. That said, it’s made with certifiable winter veggies: beets, apples, and carrots. It’s truly a salad that you can make year-round!
It goes equally well alongside BBQ favorites as it does beside something tasty and tender you pull out of your slow cooker.
Ingredients to make a raw beet salad
This carrot, beet, and apple salad is a cross between a mayo-free coleslaw and a salad. It’s crunchy and sweet and a tiny bit earthy from the beets. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the salad:
- Carrots: If your carrots are young and fresh, simply wash them before cutting them. But if they’re a little rough looking, peel them first.
- Apple: Pick a crisp apple for this recipe. Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, and Pink Lady are some of our favorites.
- Beets: you’ll need 2 medium beets for this salad.
- Mint: It’s totally up to you how minty you want this to taste. The recipe calls for 1 cup, roughly chopped. But if you want to add more or less simply add a little at a time to the bowl until you reached the desired amount.
Tools to make a delicious raw beet salad
Disclaimer: You’ll want a mandolin slicer for this recipe! You have a couple of options when it comes to preparing this raw beet salad, but one of them shouldn’t be hand-slicing until your hand cramps up so bad it would feel better to just cut it off (who are you callin’ dramatic?) But seriously, there are tools that can help you achieve that thinly sliced look and feel you’ll want for this raw apple, beet, carrot salad.
This salad takes 15 minutes of prep time using one of these recommended tools (it’ll take a whole lot longer if you hand-slice).
- Mandolin slicer: When testing this recipe, a mandolin was used. It works great to get even, matchstick slices for all of the fruits and vegetables used. This is the mandolin we have.
- Spiralizer: This will give you long, spiral shapes for your salad. It will absolutely work to save you time and give you a uniform slice of the ingredients.
- Food processor: You can use a food processor to shred the carrots, apples, and beets. Keep in mind, you don’t want to over-process the apple as it will quickly turn to mush. Only process each ingredient until you get a thin, chopped-up look and size for all of them.
Substitutions and additions for a raw beet salad
This is such a versatile salad, you can mix it up to your liking. Here are some ideas for additions:
- Nuts and seeds: pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, slivered almonds.
- Cheese: You may want to add some cheese such as crumbled feta or goat cheese.
- Other fruits and veg: Avocado, dried fruits like raisins or cranberries, or even some arugula or shredded cabbage are nice additions to this raw beet salad.
You can also easily make plant-based substitutions without compromising flavor:
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Vegan: to make this a vegan raw beet salad, all you have to do is substitute the honey in the vinaigrette with maple syrup or agave.
What to serve with raw beet salad
Let’s make a full meal menu to complement this wonderful side!
Recipe FAQ
Do I need to cook the beets before slicing them?
You don’t need to cook the beets (or carrots) for this salad. All of the ingredients are meant to be raw to create a crunch with every bite!
How long does raw beet salad last?
Leftover raw beet salad, if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, can last 4 days.
Can I make this raw beet salad ahead of serving?
You can prep parts of this salad ahead of time! The dressing can be made up to 4 days in advance. And the carrots and beets can be sliced and kept separately. Wait to slice the apple and chop the mint until you’re ready to serve the salad.
Raw Beet Carrot and Apple Salad with Mint Cumin Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Using a mandolin with a ⅛ blade, shred the beets then place them into a bowl. Rinse them 3-4 times with cold water then fill the bowl with water and set it aside. This will prevent the beets from bleeding their color through the salad. If the presentation isn't important when you're serving this, you can skip this step. Clean the mandolin and then use it to cut the carrots and apple and put them into a salad bowl. (You can also grate the veggies; the taste will remain roughly the same but the presentation will be quite different.)2 large carrots, 1 large crisp apple, 2 medium beets
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 pinch sea salt
- Drain the beets and rinse them one more time then add them to the bowl with the carrots and apple. Add the mint to the salad bowl and then pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat well.1 cup mint
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Delicious way to get all of your colorful veggies in. I can’t believe how easy it is to make with a good shredder. I could eat this every day.
Yes! I could eat this every day, too!
I appreciate the tip on handling the beets and color bleeding. That is always an issue and limits my use outside roasting them.
Thank you for the tip and the lovely (in appearance and I’m sure deliciousness) recipe. I will be placing on my meal prep list 😋
I just made this salad and it was absolutely delicious. Shreaded in the food processor made it so easy. Will definitely make it again and often.
Do you cook your beets or use them raw (once peeled)?
We use them raw in this recipe. 🙂
Great recipe!
I’ve had this recipe pinned for months and finally made it yesterday for a baby shower, where the mother-to-be is vegan. I used agave nectar instead of honey, spiralized the veggies and topped it with salted, toasted pumpkin seeds for a bit of protein. The salad was a big hit and so bright and refreshing on the usually warm summer day in the PNW. Thank you for the recipe, I’ll be making it again!
This looks so good! I can’t get mint where I live though. Do you have an alternative substitution for the mint or should I make it as is without any substitute. Thanks!
Mint is a tricky one to substitute. Anything in the mint family would work – spearmint, etc. While quite different, I think that cilantro would be nice in this recipe. Or you can simply omit it. 🙂
Thanks! I’ll try the cilantro!
What brand of Mandolin did you use. I love the perfect strips.
I have a Benriner. It’s one of the cheaper brands but it works well. 🙂
Really really yummy and fresh!
I’m so happy to hear it turned out well!
Oh my gosh! I didn’t see this coming – this is delicious! Is it the cumin that makes this so tasty?? Thanks for this and I can’t wait to try the coconut curry lentil soup!
So happy it was a hit! And yes, I think it’s the cumin that gives this recipe something special. 🙂
Is the beetroot meant to be cooked or raw?
It’s raw in this recipe. 🙂
Made this last night and added cabbage. Fantastic salad 🙂 I’ve been eating a lot of roasted beetroot in salads recently, but glad to have found an alternate option 🙂
Good call on adding cabbage. I love cabbage!
How long does this last the fridge? I made the whole recipe but there are only two of us to eat it and I have quite a bit left.
It’s best eaten the same day, but for up to a week in the fridge without going bad. The carrots and beets will start to soften so it won’t be as crispy and delicious. I’d probably eat it within a day or two, not for food safety, but for the quality.
If you make ahead, do the beets stain the carrots and apples? I want to make this the day before but could add the beets right before serving.
Yes, they will. Best to keep them separate and mix them in right before serving. 🙂
I recently had lunch with my Daughter who served delicious baked Salmon with the Apple,Beetroot and apple salad. I Googled it today and now I know where she found the Recipe! I will now be able to repeat the same delicious meal. Thank you very much.. I like what I see on your Website. Ruby in Australia.
I love this story! So happy you were able to find the recipe. 🙂
I would like to try this one looks delicious. Do I have to use cooked beetroot?
Nope … you can grate it raw. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! I had a beet and apple salad awhile ago and have been searching for a recipe to recreate this deliciousness it and it looks like I’ve found one! Thanks for another awesome idea!
Thank you so much, Lyndz!!