Vibrant Raw Beet Salad with Balsamic Dressing (AIP)

Say goodbye to boring salads with this Vibrant Raw Beet Salad. An easy, colorful salad with a flavorful Maple-Balsamic Dressing.

This salad is so simple to throw together, yet it’s bright and distinguished enough for a special occasion. You’ll love it equally as a quick side salad to go with your weeknight dinner, or as an impressive dish to bring to a potluck or holiday gathering. The rich, earthy flavors of the beet and carrot harmonize beautifully with the succulent spinach and delightful Maple-Balsamic Dressing for a complex flavor profile your mouth will never tire of.

And, as an added bonus, this recipe is fully AIP compliant, as well as Paleo and Vegan, making it excellent for sharing with a crowd full of people with varying dietary restrictions.

How to make Vibrant Raw Beet Salad with Balsamic Dressing

First, gather your equipment. You’ll need a box grater, mandoline or food processor to grate the beet and carrot, measuring spoons for the dressing ingredients and a large salad bowl and tongs for tossing everything together.

Next, assemble your ingredients:

• 5 oz baby spinach
• 1 medium red beet, shredded (no need to peel if organic)
• 1 large carrot, shredded (no need to peel if organic)
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (check ingredients for AIP compliance)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Once you’ve grated your beet and carrot, combine everything in a large salad bowl and toss to coat in the Maple-Balsamic Dressing. That’s it!

Enjoy this Vibrant Raw Beet Salad soon after preparing. Once your salad is dressed, it won’t save long.

If you’d like to prepare this salad ahead of time, grate your beet and carrot, pre-mix the dressing, and store all the ingredients separately in the fridge for a day or two. Toss to combine just before serving.

this recipe!

Raw Beet Salad Variations

This Raw Beet Salad is very flavorful and complex on it’s own, but if you want to add a tiny bit more pizazz, here are some ideas:

Add some crunch

Adding some nuts will add a fun crunchy aspect to this salad (in addition to the crunch of the beet and carrot). While nuts are not AIP-compliant, they are still Paleo, vegan and vegetarian. Just make sure to use gluten-free nuts, if you or any of your guests are avoiding gluten. Chopped pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or even pistachios would be excellent in this salad. If you’d like to maintain AIP compliance, or stay nut-free, you can also try adding some sliced tigernuts (which are actually tubers, not nuts).

Add some creaminess

Some soft cheese would be excellent to add to this salad, as well, if you and your guests tolerate dairy. Try crumbled feta, goat cheese, gorgonzola, blue cheese or any other soft cheese you prefer. Just a head’s up: the salad will no longer be AIP, Paleo, or vegan if you add cheese.

For an AIP-friendly cheese substitute, try this mozzarella recipe from Unbound Wellness (AIP & Paleo) or this one from The Curious Coconut (AIP, Paleo & Vegan).

Add a little fruit

A small amount of fruit added to this Raw Beet Salad might just take it to the next level. Try AIP-compliant dried cranberries, or another fresh winter fruit, such as pomegranate arils, chopped fresh cranberries, or clementine orange slices.

Try a different dressing

The Maple-Balsamic Dressing used on this Raw Beet Salad is one of my absolute favorites, and the flavors work so well together, so it’s tough to recommend another dressing. But, if I had to recommend one, it would definitely be this Lemon Turmeric Dressing. Or even just a simple drizzle of your favorite oil and vinegar combo. The bright flavors of the beet, carrot and spinach don’t need much to make them pop. Share in the comments if you try another dressing!

Other recipes to try

Looking for more AIP salads to make this winter? Try these next!

Paleo Autumn Harvest Bowls with Maple-Balsamic Dressing

Holiday Kale Salad with Maple-Balsamic Dressing

Easy Winter Fruit Salad (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)

If you enjoyed this Vibrant Raw Beet Salad with Maple-Balsamic Dressing, I would love it if you would leave a star rating and review below! And be sure to snap a photo of it and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @hurriedhealthnut and hashtagging it #hurriedhealthnut.

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