Beets or beetroot. Whatever you call the veggie, it’s bright, earthy, and easily overlooked. Some people shy away from the bright red color that stains everything it touches. Others are at a loss for what should accompany the beets. You need ingredients that are going to complement the vegetable, without overpowering it.
Thankfully, there are plenty of options. Ingredients like goat cheese, lemon, walnuts, and arugula are often served with beets, particularly in a beet salad. Such beet salads are delicious, colorful, and incredibly healthy. They’re also an excellent way to get the benefits of raw beets.
Of course, beet salad isn’t that filling on its own. You’ll often want at least one side to go along with it – perhaps something with protein to give you a balanced meal. That’s why today, we’re looking at what to serve with beet salad.
There are plenty of stunning beet salad sides to experiment with, including a rustic beef stew, stuffed mushrooms, light quinoa salad, baked fish, and sautéed spinach. They’re all delicious, with each offering its own distinctive features.
Now, the best side will be influenced by the type of beet salad you’re serving. The first option is a beet-centric salad, which focuses on beets and just includes a few extra ingredients (like some crumbled feta and fresh herbs). Such salads have a rich red color and a distinct earthy flavor.
Alternatively, you might focus on a regular salad that uses beets as a key ingredient. This approach still offers some earthiness, but the flavor profile is more complex and there are different textures at play.
P.S. If you’re not fond of the intensity of red beets, why not experiment with yellow beets instead? These have a milder flavor and don’t bleed red onto everything. They still pair well with many of the sides on this list.
What To Serve With Beet Salad (12 Sides To Try)
Rustic Beef Stew
A beef stew is one of the perfect places to begin, as it offers rich and savory notes that are perfectly balanced by the earthiness of your beets. Plus, a beet salad often includes some bright tangy flavors as well. These may come from feta cheese, pickled onions, the dressing, or other tangy ingredients. That tanginess is a fantastic contrast to your beef stew and prevents your meal from getting too heavy.
There are texture aspects too, as beef stew tends to be very soft, while beet salad has a noticeable crispness to it. Serve some crusty bread alongside the stew and salad and you have a delicious well-balanced meal, with plenty of flavor and texture contrasts.
Old Fashioned Beef Stew
This Old Fashioned Beef Stew is as traditional as you can get. It relies on familiar ingredients, including carrots, potatoes, and onions. It’s also a straightforward recipe, as the pearl onions can be added whole and the potatoes don’t need peeling.
The recipe has plenty of flavoring ingredients, including dried basil, dried oregano, paprika, beef broth, and tomato sauce. These ingredients all boost the flavor profile, giving you a deliciously complex meal.
The recipe includes some helpful troubleshooting tips. These show you how to thicken or thin the stew to give it the perfect texture. Some readers also added extra veggies to make the stew more nutritious, like peas or a bag of mixed veggies. This proves that it’s a versatile recipe, one you can easily vary as you need to.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushrooms are another fantastic ingredient to consider, as they have distinct earthy umami flavors that nicely complement your beet salad. While you could serve them any way you wish, stuffed mushrooms are one of the best approaches.
Part of the appeal is the flexibility. There are countless combinations of savory fillings you can try, including spinach and feta, sausage and herb, or perhaps lentil and walnut. You could even roast vegetables and use these as a stuffing for your mushrooms.
You can experiment with the type of mushroom as well, like using tiny mushrooms or large portobello ones. The types have their own fascinating flavors and textures. You also end up with a different ratio of filling to mushroom, depending on the specific mushroom you choose.
Garlic Caprese Stuffed Mushrooms
These Garlic Caprese Stuffed Mushrooms are seriously exceptional. The garlic flavor comes from melted garlic butter that’s been brushed all over the mushrooms (that’s a truly heavenly idea).
Then, the mushrooms are stuffed with fresh mozzarella and sliced tomato, then baked. The baking cooks the mushrooms and melts the cheese, creating a treat that looks and tastes amazing.
Finally, the mushrooms are topped with a balsamic glaze. This completes the flavor profile, giving you a mini caprese salad in a mushroom cap.
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa salad is another interesting angle to try, partly because the quinoa has a slightly nutty and earthy flavor. It’s also a little chewy, creating an excellent textural contrast to the beets.
Serving a beet salad and a quinoa salad at the same time might sound strange, but why not? The two types of salads are very different to each other, with their own flavors and distinct ingredients. You could always serve some source of protein alongside the salads for a more balanced meal.
Quinoa salad and beet salad can be both varied in many ways. This makes it easy to match the flavors with each other. For example, you might use similar herbs or the same type of cheese in both salads.
Greek Quinoa Chickpea Salad
This Greek Quinoa Chickpea Salad uses chickpeas to add extra protein and make the dish even more filling. The salad also gets plenty of texture and flavor from Greek ingredients including olives, feta cheese, cucumber, and fresh tomatoes.
The combination of ingredients works well, especially when this dish is contrasted against a beetroot salad. Or, you could combine the ideas by including beets in your quinoa salad.
No matter how you serve your salads, you’ll get a delicious meal every time.
Leafy Greens
If your beet salad mostly focuses on beets, greens make an excellent side. They provide plenty of nutrients, nicely contrast the texture of your salad, and look fantastic on the plate.
There are endless options here, including a massaged kale salad, braised collard greens, or an arugula salad. Arugula works well because it has peppery notes that contrast the sweetness of your beets. That said, most greens-based sides will be delicious, so you can simply go with your favorite type.
Sautéed Spinach With Garlic And Parmesan
What could be simpler than this Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Parmesan? The inclusion of both garlic and parmesan is a great way to boost the flavor of sautéed spinach without much extra work.
The recipe instructions are very clear, so even complete beginners could follow the recipe without an issue. There are also some interesting variations, like adding a little lemon zest for a vibrant flavor or using some toasted pine nuts for a bit of crunch.
Salmon
If you want to serve a full meal, you’ll need some protein to serve alongside your beet salad. Salmon is one of the best choices, as it’s rich, decadent, and ultra-tasty. Salmon is nutritious too and includes plenty of powerful omega-3 fatty acids.
Beyond those features, salmon happens to be easy to prepare. You can grill or bake it; the salmon will normally be ready in less than 20 minutes. A few herbs or a simple sauce make the dish taste even better.
Dijon Maple Cedar Plank Salmon
If you want to make your salmon even more exciting, try this Dijon Maple Cedar Plank Salad. It uses a delicious dijon maple wet rub that adds plenty of flavor without much effort.
After the rub, the salmon is grilled on cedar planks. Not only do the planks make cooking easy, but they create a foolproof dish, one that will turn out perfectly every time.
There is one slight catch though – the cedar planks need to soak for two hours before you use them. This means you need to plan ahead for this recipe. Still, you can soak the planks in advance to make everything much easier, so this isn’t a huge issue.
Baked Fish
If salmon isn’t your favorite, what about trying a different type of fish instead? Baked white fish, like cod or tilapia is a fantastic choice, as these types of fish have a mild flavor and won’t overpower your beets at all.
The texture contrasts works well too, as the fish is tender and delicate, while the beet salad has more crispness to it. Because the fish is so mild, it works well as a side for any type of beet salad. This includes a salad that uses beets and few other ingredients, as well as lettuce-based salads, where beets are just one ingredient out of many.
Easy Mediterranean Baked Cod
This Easy Mediterranean Baked Cod adds Mediterranean spices, garlic, and lemon to create a delicious version of cod that’s packed with flavor. It’s a fantastic choice if you’re a little bored with regular white fish or simply feel like a change.
Of course, cod isn’t essential for this recipe. You could easily swap it out for a different type of fish. The Mediterranean flavors are also a perfect complement for most types of beet salad, making the recipe even more appealing.
Rosemary Chicken
Chicken is one of the most perfect sides, as it’s almost a blank slate. You can easily use herbs, spices, or sauces to tweak the flavor profile and create a meal you adore.
You don’t need to go overboard to create delicious chicken. Often a little rosemary is enough to elevate your meal and make everything taste better. This works well as the herby flavors of rosemary naturally complement the earthy sweet notes in your beet salad.
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
This Lemon Rosemary Chicken takes things one step further by adding lemon into the mix. The lemon provides bright citrus notes that elevate the entire meal and are excellent alongside any beet dish.
This dish is also very easy to prepare, taking just 30 minutes from start to finish. Easy recipes like this are perfect for busy work nights or times when you have very little energy.
Thyme Pork Tenderloin
We can’t end the topic of meat-based sides without talking about pork. Pork tenderloin is one of the best cuts to choose as it’s so tender and looks stunning when cooked well.
Thyme pairs well with this cut of pork, as the herb is earthy and slightly sweet. The flavor complements some of the notes in your beet salad as well, including the earthiness of the beets themselves. You also get a fantastic contrast of colors on the plate, which somehow makes the meal taste even better.
There’s still plenty of space for variation. You can experiment with how the pork is cooked or add extra ingredients to make the flavors more complex.
Pork Tenderloin Medallions
Don’t these Pork Tenderloin Medallions look stunning? They’re pan seared in a delicious sauce that includes thyme, paprika, and garlic for flavor.
The medallions are much faster and easier to prepare than a full pork tenderloin, yet they still taste just as delicious. The pan sauce doesn’t just provide flavor either. It also ensures that the medallions stay juicy (as long as you don’t overcook them).
Sliced Roast Lamb Leg
Lamb has an incredible rich and savory flavor that works well with many sides, including beet salad. It’s also a perfect choice if you want to create a more elegant meal.
And, if you’re going for elegance, a sliced roast lamb leg is tough to beat. The meat should be tender and succulent, perhaps with some extra flavor from herbs and spices.
If you’re new to cooking lamb, no worries. The right recipe will teach you every step of the process, with plenty of images to guide you.
Slow Roasted Leg Of Lamb With Gravy
This recipe for Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Gravy is one of the easiest ways to prepare lamb. It starts with a wet rub that includes rosemary, garlic, dijon mustard, lemon zest, and other ingredients for flavor.
No marinade is needed, as the slow roasting ensures that the lamb remains incredibly tender. The recipe includes plenty of instructions for making the lamb perfect every single time.
Grilled Shrimp
Now, we come to grilled shrimp. This is a lighter protein-based side, making it a great option in the warmer months or for lunch instead of dinner.
Because shrimp has a relatively light flavor, it’s not going to overpower the beets in your salad. Instead, you should be able to taste all the flavors from both parts of your meal.
As with the other sides, you can easily add extra ingredients to tweak the flavor. For example, you might try garlic herb grilled shrimp or perhaps a citrus-based recipe instead. You could even make a skewer that combines shrimp and vegetables for a delicious contrast of flavors and textures.
Margarita Grilled Shrimp
This Margarita Grilled Shrimp recipe offers some stunning flavors, especially as the recipe includes jalapenos, brown sugar, spices, and garlic. The recipe lives up to its name too – as it includes lime and a splash of tequila.
The tequila isn’t essential, but it makes the shrimp taste much better, so it’s worth including. Besides, doesn’t the idea of margarita shrimp just sound amazing?
If you’re not a fan of shrimp, you could easily use the marinade from this recipe for a different type of seafood. And, to make the meal even more exciting, why not serve it with a freshly made margarita?
Fresh Bread
What could be simpler than serving a loaf of freshly baked bread alongside your beet salad. The neutral flavor of the bread allows the beet salad to truly shine, while you still get a great texture contrast between the bread and your salad.
You could even use the bread to sop up some of the dressing from your salad. This allows you to enjoy every morsel of flavor. Bread also makes the meal a little more filling without going overboard.
And, while bread is simple, it’s certainly not boring. There are plenty of types to try including sourdough, focaccia, baguettes, and ciabatta. You can even add extra ingredients to flavor the bread, like herbs or garlic.
Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread
The Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread is easy to make, yet still offers an absolutely stunning flavor. It includes garlic, parmesan, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and olive oil, which all perfectly complement each other.
Because there are so few ingredients in the mix, the quality makes a huge difference. You’ll get a much better side if you choose your ingredients wisely and follow the directions with care.
Lentil Patties
Finally, we have lentil patties. While these often don’t look like much, they can be surprisingly delicious when made well. They’re also an excellent source of vegan protein, making them perfect for a broad audience.
There are other appealing features too. For one thing, the patties include some interesting earthy notes that are perfect next to the earthy sweetness of your beets. Plus, they often have a soft interior and crispy exterior, providing a fascinating texture contrast.
Lentil patties can easily be varied to make them more appealing. For example, you might make spiced lentil patties with ingredients like turmeric and cumin. Or, you could go in a different direction and use Mediterranean ingredients like sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese.
Healthy Red Lentil Patties
These Healthy Red Lentil Patties are a great place to begin. They rely on red lentils, vegetables, chickpea flour, and ground chia seeds, plus a selection of herbs and spices for flavor.
The ingredients choice provides an interesting texture without making the patties too complicated. Red lentils are used for the recipe, so the patties are fast to prepare. However, you can easily make them using a different type of lentil if you would prefer.
As with most recipes, you could easily tweak the patties to change their flavor. This might include changing the herbs and spices or adding a few of your own favorite ingredients.