Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach
Reset with this healthy superfood salad featuring raw beets, carrot, quinoa, spinach, edamame and avocado. It's as colorful as it is nutritious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 1, 2024
Reset with this healthy beet salad recipe featuring superfoods like carrot, quinoa, spinach, edamame and avocado. This salad is as flavorful and nutritious as its bold colors would suggest.
This beet salad is tender, crisp and irresistible! The light apple cider, lime and herb dressing brings it all together.
Yesterday was not my day. I stayed up too late the night before (will I ever learn?). I ate lasagna for breakfast, forgot several important items on my grocery list, and fell over in yoga class. More than once. Maybe it was a normal day after all.
I managed to piece together this mega colorful beet salad with ingredients from the store and some substitutions based on what I had at home.
It’s a meal-in-a-bowl version of my simple beet and arugula salad that helped me find some much-needed balance during my totally ungraceful day. The recipe comes from a brand new cookbook called Inspiralized, by my friend Ali Maffucci.
Beet Salad Tips
The original recipe called for two beets instead of one beet, one carrot, and chopped mint instead of cilantro. I toasted the nuts (it’s a pain, but adds so much flavor!) and tinkered with the dressing a bit. I love how it turned out!
I don’t have a spiralizer (the contraption that turns vegetables into noodles), so I picked a recipe that didn’t necessarily require one (although, if you’re buying the book, you’ll need a spiralizer as well). I made do with my mandoline and julienne peeler. (This post contains affiliate links.)
All that said, don’t worry if you don’t have any of those things! You can make this salad with a sharp chef’s knife as well. (Or better yet, Charlotte grated the beet and carrot on her box grater!)
Watch How to Make Colorful Beet Salad
Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Craving more colorful, healthy recipes? I think you’ll love my cookbook! Here are a few more options on the blog:
- Simple Beet, Arugula and Feta Salad
- Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
- Colorful Chopped Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowl
- Veggie Sushi Bowls
Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach
Reset with this healthy beet salad recipe featuring superfoods like carrot, quinoa, spinach, edamame and avocado. It’s as colorful as it is nutritious! Recipe yields two meal-sized salads or four side salads. If you plan on having leftovers, store the greens separately from the other prepared ingredients and toss just before serving.
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds or pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- 1 medium raw beet, peeled
- 1 medium-to-large carrot (or 1 additional medium beet), peeled
- 2 cups packed baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped
- 1 ripe avocado, cubed
Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or cilantro
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To cook the quinoa: First, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water for a minute or two. In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess water and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool.
- To cook the edamame: Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the frozen edamame and cook just until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- To toast the almonds or pepitas: In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds or pepitas, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl to cool.
- To prepare the beet(s) and/or carrot: First of all, feel free to just chop them as finely as possible using a sharp chef’s knife OR grate them on a box grater. If you have a spiralizer, you can spiralize them using blade C, then chop the ribbons into small pieces using a sharp chef’s knife. If you have a mandoline and julienne peeler (this is a pain), use the mandoline to julienne the beet and use a julienne peeler to julienne the carrot, then chop the ribbons into small pieces using a sharp chef’s knife.
- To prepare the vinaigrette: Whisk together all of the ingredients until emulsified.
- To assemble the salad: In your large serving bowl, combine the toasted almonds/pepitas, cooked edamame, prepared beet(s) and/or carrot, roughly chopped spinach/arugula (see note above about leftovers), cubed avocado and cooked quinoa.
- Finally, drizzle dressing over the mixture (you might not need all of it) and gently toss to combine. You’ll end up with a pink salad if you toss it really well! Season to taste with salt (up to an additional ¼ teaspoon) and black pepper. Serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals by Ali Maffucci.
Make it vegan: Opt for maple syrup or agave nectar instead of honey.
Make it nut free: Opt for pepitas instead of almonds.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I just made this last night for diner en blanc in san diego. I was nervous because I’ve never done raw beets, but it turned out great. Hit with my date too. Beautiful colors on a plate. thanks for the recipe!
Thank you, Sasha! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have made this several times and it is amazing! Thank you for the great recipe!!
Hooray! Thank you for your comments, Erica!
Made this salad last night for a dinner party- it was the HIT. Everyone loved it! The colors were so beautiful. I ended up having to double the recipe but it was very easy to do so- even the vinaigrette was amazing. I’m going to make a jar and use it on other salads as well.
Thank you!!!
Glad to hear it went over well, Molly! Yes!
I made this salad yesterday and brought leftovers for lunch. It tasted so good!!!! It was the perfect lunch. I roasted whole almonds and then chopped them up to add into the salad and used frozen english peas instead of edamame since I had them on hand. I also added some fresh parsley to the dressing because I’m not the biggest fan of cilantro. I’m planning on making another batch to pack for my lunches again. Thanks for another great recipe!
Your version sounds awesome, Alice! Thank you for taking the time to comment!
This salad was amazing. I tried it out to see if it would work for our monthly veggie supper club, and my hubby and are sadly looking at the empty bowl that we just polished off in minutes wishing we had more. I’m so excited to share it with our club tomorrow. hopefully other people will enjoy it too as long as hubby and I aren’t in the potluck line first!
Thank you, Mel! I hope it was a hit at your potluck!
Yay, salad! I love this kind of veggie-filled lunch in spring especially. All the veg, all the time!
Thanks, Michael!
This salad is delicious. All the different flavours and colours. I have enough left for 2 more meals……..yay!
Going to try the Southwestern Kale Power Salad next!
Thank you, Debbie! Hope you love the kale salad, too!
Just made this salad for my mom and me – we absolutely loved it! The toasted pumpkin seeds add so much flavor! I didn’t have edamame in the house so I substituted it with chickpeas. Yum yum.
Just made and ate this delicious salad. Perfect combination of flavors. My husband loved it too. We agreed that it will be included in our salad rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Glad to hear it! Thank you, Mary Beth!
Nom, nom, nom! Eating this write now. So tasty and delish! Glad to find your blog, and excited to make more of your recipes (especially the desserts)! :)
Thank you for letting me know, Jayme! So glad you enjoyed the salad and hope you enjoy those desserts even more!
I made two of your recipes for a small dinner party at my home tonight, the ‘Chana Masala’ and the salad above. They were both incredible in their deliciousness. I added cauliflower and green peas to the masala just for a few extras but everyone commented on the amazing flavours and freshness. thank you for creating recipes that fit the bill for nutrition and taste!
I made this salad yesterday. My friends and I loved it so much. One of my friends told me that she sent you an e-mail to tell you that it was delicious.
Great recipe! I searched for ‘raw beet salad’ and yours came up. Will make it tomorrow for lunch :)
Hey Kate!
I have been trying your recipes and I am loving them.
All I have right now are pickled beets, so you think that will work fine?
THE best salad ever! My husband and I absolutely love it! I’m sharing with my family and friends!
This could be THE best salad I have ever made. I have a vegan friend who I am always trying to find interesting recipes for and she also loved it. I made it exactly as per your recipe apart from adding a mixture of toasted almond flakes and pumpkins seeds.
I never thought to put raw, grated beets in a salad, but it was delicious! A huge hit, full of healthy foods.
I love this salad! It’s so versatile! I subbed the spinach for cabbage once, another time farro for the quinoa or no avocado because it wasn’t ripe yet….all delicious! I had to share your recipe on my blog. I hope that is okay. I gave you lots of credit in the post with a direct link to your site.
Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Starting a spring detox and this looks wonderful! Do you have any suggestions To substitute for edamame, for those of us who can’t do soy? So excited to find your blog.
I was going to try chick peas instead next time. Not a huge fan of edamame!
Just made this for dinner and LOVED it. I already had some steamed beets in the fridge so i diced those and subbed some baby kake for spinach. Wow! Great flavors in the dressing. Nice level of complexity.
My hubby was apprehensive to try this salad because the whole thing went red from the beets. He did try it, and loved it! YUM!
Just devoured this for dinner…loved it! Followed th recipe pretty closely except that I used roasted beets (I already had them in the fridge), and I added a couple of sliced green onions and a sprinkle of feta. Thanks for the great recipe. It’s going in the keeper file.
Such a great salad! The vinaigrette was delicious and I now no longer dislike beetroot :). Will definitely be making this again, thanks for the amazing recipe.
Made this last night for dinner and OMG YUM!!! Tagged you on instagram as well ;) … I used golden beets since my store was out of red and used arugula instead of spinach. Oh and I used my cheese grater which was perfect. I also toasted the sliced almonds and you’re so right, the extra flavor it added from toasting was totally worth it! I usually skip that step but I won’t be anymore! Every bite I was like mmmmm and didn’t want it to end. Excited for my leftovers for lunch today!!!
Perfect salad for what I had on hand! The dressing is amazing I always love trying new flavors. Only thing I cooked the veggies in a pan with a little olive oil, garlic to crisp up the kale and pull more flavor from the beets & carrots. Thanks for Sharing Kate =)
This was a great salad! Interesting flavor combinations. Came together pretty quickly after a long day at work. Would definitely make this again :-)
Awesome salad…it took a bit to make (about 45 min for me…I’m slow I guess!)…but a really flavorful, hearty salad. I had never had a raw beet, delish!
Super nice salad, so original, colorful and nutricional! It would become a must on my weekly lunch menu :)
Just had this for dinner and wow! So delicious! I’m excited for leftovers tomorrow. For those wondering about modifications, I used 2 beets and a carrot because I love beets and wanted to stretch the recipe a bit, and sunflower seeds since that’s what I had on hand. Thanks Kate!
Oh and I used chickpeas instead of edamame, because I didn’t have that on hand either.
This salad is delicious and so easy to make! I chopped my carrot and beet and it was perfect. Will definitely be making again!
Hi Kate- Most awesome salad– made this for Fathers day BBQ-
Do you have the nutritional value posted somewhere?
Is is something you can provide?
Thanks
Hi Donna, I’m sorry, I don’t offer nutrition details since they vary so much in home cooking. Your best bet would be to run this recipe through a nutrition calculator like myfitnesspal.com, so you can adjust any ingredient changes and serving sizes.
Loved I! Once you have the ingredients it’s pretty easy to make too.
WOW! This looks delicious!
It’s also colorful!
Can’t wait to make it, pretty sure my mother will love it, thanks Kate!
This was wonderful! Used both fresh mint and cilantro in dressing–so glad I did, the mint gives it such a nice summery flavour.
what is the nutritional value for this recipe? Calories and carbs, fat, sodium, potassium, cholestrol?
Made this salad 3 times in the last 2 weeks because it is so good! I use the beets greens and some kale. Used peas in place of edamame. 5+ stars!
Definitely assemble the salad the day you serve it. The beets will bleed everything to red if you mix it too rarly. But it is a tasty sslaf
Thanks, MB!
I have already sent these October recipes to my vegan and gluten free friends. Mmm! Can’t wait to try this colorful salad with so many of my favorite ingredients!!
Hi Ann! Thank you for sharing! Hope you’re well. :)
I made the colorful beet salad tonight and my husband and I absolutely loved it! My new favorite!!!! Thank you!
Robin Janssen
Solana beach,ca
Thank you, Robin! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
I found this while looking for a beet recipe and made it… So good! Loved the contrast in textures, and the flavor was great. I added some feta and the whole thing was just delicious. Thanks!
Oooh and I’m happy to report that it’s delicious as leftovers for lunch the next day, too!
Thank you, Sarah! So glad you loved this one.
This was the most amazing salad. Such a good balance with proteins and veggies and dairy free to boot. We loved the layers of flavours!
Thankyou so much :)
Thank you, Lise! :)
I really love this salad. I appreciate that it so many complimentary flavors from the different ingredients but isn’t difficult to make. I’ve made it two weeks in a row :)
This salad is delicious and filling. All too often I come across a recipe online that looks good and tastes good but leaves me feeling hungry shortly after. Not this time! I made it with toasted pepitas and I’ve gotta say they were my favourite part.
Thanks, Sarah! You might like my latest recipe on the home page, too. Pepitas, quinoa, spinach and chickpeas. :)
Stunning! I shall be making this the next time I have beets and edamame around. Sounds like the beet greens would make a good addition to the leafy components! <3
Made this salad today and it is wonderful!! Thank you Kate, just love your blog, pictures and oh wow the recipes!!!
Do you have a recommendation on what spiralizer works best for veggies noodles?
This salad looks delicious. I usually make one with Romaine lettuce and bulgur, but I will have to try yours with quinoa and spinach.
Let me know how it turns out!
This salad just popped up on my Pinterest as salads I might like.
I found this salad a while back and I dont just like this salad, I love this salad. It’s one of my 5 go to lunches. (I only eat 5 things for lunch, menu only changes with the seasons, prevents decision fatigue lol) I added Ancho chili pepper to the dressing omitted the cilantro from the dressing instead adding a small bunch to the salad directly. Thank-you for this recipe.
Yes! The beauty of Pinterest (I feel like it knows me). So happy you could adjust it to your tastes, Lesley!
I made this last night and it passed the test of my husband, 7yo, and 10yo! None of them were beet fans, but liked the vinaigrette of this recipe and enjoyed the salad. We did not include the quinoa, but made it as is otherwise.
Great! That’s an excellent litmus test ;) So happy the whole family liked it.