Categories: Salads

Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret)

Vinaigrette salad (or salad “vinegret” how it is called in russian) is traditional salad of russian cuisine.

It is made of boiled vegetables (beets, potatoes and carrots), onions, sauerkraut and cucumbers pickled in salt.

Some recipes call for peas instead of boiled beans, some others skip beans all together. But to me real vinegret is the one with beans.

Traditionally this salad is dressed with sunflower oil, but it can be substituted with other oil to your taste.

Ingredients:

  • 1 beet
  • 2 carrots
  • 1-2 potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 10oz sauerkraut
  • 10oz cucumbers pickled in salt
  • 1 can (about 15 oz) boiled beans of your choice
  • Sunflower oil
  • Salt to taste

How to prepare, step-by-step:

  1. Prepare ingredients: vegetables size vary so it is hard to tell the amounts, but rule of the thumb is: volume of diced beets, carrots and potatoes should be approximately equal:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 1
  2. Start off by boiling carrots, potato and separately beets for salad, then let them cool down till room temperature and peel:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 2
  3. Dice beet, add to the deep bowl, pour over with sunflower oil and mix:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 3
  4. Add chopped onions:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 4
  5. And diced pickled cucumbers:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 5
  6. Diced potatoes:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 6
  7. And carrots:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 7
  8. If sauerkraut is too sour or salted, rinse it with cold water, the squeeze liquid out, chop sauerkraut and add to the bowl:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 8
  9. Add boiled beans (if you use canned ones – rinse them and then drain liquid out before adding beans to the bowl):
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 9
  10. Salt to taste, add more sunflower oil (if needed), mix good:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret) Recipe: Step 10
  11. And serve as a side dish or salad:
    Russian Vinaigrette Salad (Salad Vinegret)
Enjoy!

View Comments

  • Hi Julia,
    Thanks for your recipes. I just cooked buckwheat soup acording to your recipe today. I love buckwheat and soups from Russian culture. I just started looking through your website and found your vinegrette recipe. I love vinegrette as it has such an amazing variety of healthy ingredients. I noticed you are using canned sauerkraut for your recipe. I prefer fresh non pasteurized sauerkraut as its healthier in terms of nutrients. I remember we used to make it with my mom in the winter months and it tasted so fresh and crisp. Do you have traditional homemade sauerkraut recipe? I would really appreciate it if you post it.
    Best

    • I never did sauerkraut myself, but my parents always do it. I was thinking on trying myself and make a recipe of it some day. Let me make it a part of my NY resolutions :)

      Happy New Year!

  • One of few salads of Slavic cuisine which doesn't use mayonnaise or sour cream. It is dressed with plain sunflower oil.