My kids love this salad. It’s full of big, chunky pieces of roasted beets and apple, and has a mild, creamy dressing. And it’s bright pink, which adds to the fun. If you want something a little more sophisticated than a Barbie Ferrari colored salad at the dinner table, just spoon the dressing over the ingredients instead of tossing everything together.
Beet and Apple Salad with Dill Yogurt Dressing
Start by making the dressing. At this time of year I use dried dill leaves, and the dressing will be far better if you give it at least an hour to hang out in the fridge before using it in your salad. The flavors will come together and the dried dill will rehydrate and soften. Just stir together Greek-style yogurt, apple cider vinegar (I love Braggs), maple syrup, dill leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
While your dressing marries, roast your beets. When they are tender all the way through, let them cool, then rub the skins off with a clean lint-free towel or clean hands.
Slice the cooled, roasted beets into nice big wedges.
Chunk up a few green apples into pieces about the same size as the beets.
Combine beets, apples and walnuts with yogurt-dill dressing and stir everything together.
Enjoy your bright pink salad!
Printable Recipe
Beet and Apple Salad with Yogurt-Dill Dressing
Ingredients
For The Salad
- 2 pounds red or yellow beets, or a combination
- 2 medium-sized, tart apples, like Granny Smith
- 1/2 cup whole walnuts
For the Yogurt-Dill Dressing
- 1/2 cup strained (Greek-style) plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dried dill leaves (or two tablespoons fresh, chopped dill leaves)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make dressing. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (and up to two days) while you roast beets. This allows the flavors to marry and the dried dill to rehydrate.
- Preheat the oven to 400*F. Scrub beets and trim away all but 1-inch of greens, but do not peel. Place beets on a baking sheet lined with a large sheet of foil. Fold foil up and over beets, and crimp foil edges together to make a packet. Roast beets for 45-90 minutes, depending on size, until fully tender all the way through. When beets are tender, a small skewer or paring knife inserted into the center of a beet should not meet resistance.
- Let beets cool, then rub skins off beets with an old, lint-free rag or with very clean hands. Beets can be prepared up to this point as far as two days ahead and kept chilled.
- Slice cool beets into chunky wedges, and cut apple into large cubes. Add beets, apple and walnuts to a medium bowl.
- Pour enough reserved yogurt dressing over the salad ingredients to lightly coat and stir all together. The salad will turn bright pink from the red beets. For a more composed look, you can scatter the salad ingredients on a plate and drizzle the dressing over.
1
Mimi says
A beautiful salad! Love this dressing!
Kristen M. says
Have you tried making it with pickled beets or just fresh? I have a few jars left from last year and this sounds like a good way to use them. 🙂
Tanaya Ropp says
Can I use my canned beats. I have regular, pickled and cinnamon beats?
Melynda says
I have made a beet and apple salad for years, but this one looks lovely and the roasted beets will make all the difference! The recipe in my archives is from so many years ago, it of course uses canned beets, but still good. Can’t wait to try this one with the dill dressing. Thanks.
Eileen says
This salad sounds so good! Dill is one of my favorite herbs ever, so I’m super excited to see it. Such a classic combination with the beets and yogurt!