If you’re craving something vibrant, healthy, and packed with bold Nordic-inspired flavor, this Scandinavian Golden Beet and Potato Salad is your next go-to. Earthy golden beets and tender potatoes are tossed with a fragrant mix of caraway, celery, and anise seeds, plus juniper berries for a distinct herbal twist. Red onions, capers, and a tangy red wine and olive oil vinaigrette bring brightness and balance. This easy-to-make salad is perfect for light lunches, summer gatherings, potlucks, or as a unique side dish year-round.
If you follow me, you know that I’m a huge fan of Scandinavian foodways. My husband Peter is Swedish, and I have spent lots of time in Scandinavia, learning so much about the food culture and traditions. I’ve spoken and written about the Nordic diet, and have dozens of recipes on the subject. This summer, I hosted a Swedish Midsummer party at my house, and created this yummy, flavorful recipe with some of the flavor profiles of Sweden–potatoes, beets, onions, and forest spices are mainstays of the traditional diet. I love to collect spices, and had all of these in my pantry. They are not the most common spices in mainstream markets, but you can easily find them online, and they last a long time.
This beet potato salad is packed with nutrition, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. You can cook it up quickly–get the potatoes and beets to boiling (don’t peel them to lock in more nutrition!), then prep the rest of the salad ingredients while they are cooking. The vinaigrette comes together so quickly, and it offers a fragrant, flavorful light addition. Plus, this recipe stores well in the fridge for several days, as the flavors meld together.
Description
Discover a light, healthy Scandinavian beet and potato salad with caraway, juniper, capers, and a red wine vinaigrette. Easy, flavorful, and perfect year-round!
- Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush. Fill a large pot half full with water and bring to a boil. Add unpeeled potatoes, cover, and boil about 20-25 minutes (depending on the size of the potatoes), until just tender when pierced with a fork, but firm (do not overcook). Immediately drain water, and place potatoes in a colander. Rinse with cool water and let cool slightly to handle. Slice into circles and set aside.
- Meanwhile, trim the leaves (reserve for a smoothie) and scrub the beets with a vegetable brush. Fill a medium pot half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the unpeeled beets, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 25-30 minutes (depending on the size of the beets) until just tender when pierced with a fork, but firm (do not overcook). Immediately drain water, and place beets in a colander. Rinse with cool water and let cool slightly to handle. Slice into circles and set aside.
- While potatoes and beets are cooking, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. In a large bowl, add chopped red onion, parsley, and capers.
- In a small bowl, mix the red wine vinaigrette by adding olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt (optional), caraway seeds, celery seeds, juniper berries (use a mortar and pestle to crush them slightly, or a rolling pin on a cutting board), anise seeds, and black pepper until smooth.
- Add the cooled, sliced potatoes and beets to the large bowl with onion mixture. Gently mix, being careful not to crush the potatoes and beets.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the mixture, and gently mix to distribute dressing.
- Serve immediately. May serve slightly warm, room temperature, or chilled. Makes 12 (about 1 ¼ cups each) servings. Holds well stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
I prefer to leave the peels on the beets and potatoes, as they are tender and provide more nutrition. You can choose to peel them after they cook, as the peels are easily removed when the vegetables are cooked.
Find golden (yellow) beets at most well-stocked markets or farmers markets.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 152
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 352 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
Top 10 Plant-Based Hearty Salads
For more of my favorite hearty salads, check out the following:
Mediterranean Potato Bean Olive Salad
Grilled Corn & Potato Salad with Crispy Sage
Lima Bean Salad with Sumac Spice
Pesto Fusilli Pasta Salad with Corn and Tomatoes
Provencal Bean Salad
Quinoa Apple Waldorf Salad
Sesame Noodle Salad with Peas
Vegetable Couscous Salad with Za’atar
French Green Lentils Salads with Cherry Tomatoes
Butternut Squash Salad with Kale and Barley
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