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French Beet Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette recipe. A fresh and delicious naturally sweet beet salad made with boiled beets and seasoned with a simple mustard vinaigrette.

French Beet Salad in a bowl with herbs on top.

I love incorporating salads into my diet in unique and delicious ways. From creamy coleslaw to greek salad to broccoli salad, the more flavor and texture, the better.

This boiled beet salad with mustard vinaigrette is exactly my type of salad. It is a versatile and tasty salad that reminds me of the beet salads that I have eaten in France. It is made with a few healthy ingredients and is naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30, and just overall healthy!

Boiled beet salad in a bowl with a fork on the side.

Why this recipe works

  • It tastes like France. This simple beet salad is one that my mother ( who is French) makes all the time. You’ll also find French Beetroot salad in ready made containers in grocery stores there.
  • It is delicious and healthy salad. It is full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
  • It has great flavor. Beets have a delicious earthy sweet flavor. Add in mustard dressing and the whole combination is delicious.

Recipe ingredients

  • Fresh beets– these have the best flavor.
  • Apple cider vinegar- or tarragon vinegar, both of them work here.
  • Olive oil– this is used to make the dressing.
  • Horseradish mustard or dijon mustard– this is also used to make the dressing.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Additions/ Substitutions

  • Instead of apple cider vinegar, you can use tarragon vinegar.
  • Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
Simple beet salad in a bowl.

Step by step instructions

Step 1: boil the beets

To make sure this works best, cut the beets in half and then put them into a large pan. Then fill the pan with water until the tops of the beets are just covered in water.

Then let them boil for roughly 35 minutes. Until they are cooked through and fork tender.

Note: fork tender for beets is different than potatoes. They will still feel harder but a knife can easily cut through them.

If anything, boil them for an extra 5 minutes if you aren’t sure that they are ready.

Step 2: cut and peel the beets

I usually start dicing the beets on a cutting board and while I am cutting them, the skin peels off.

If this works for you, do it this way.

If not, you can thinly cut the skin off.

Step 3: make the dressing

The dressing is easy to make. All you have to do is mix the mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper together until the mixture thickens.

Step 4: mix the dressing into the beets

Beet Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette in a bowl.

Recipe FAQs

How do you serve this salad?

1) With goat cheese on top! The tart goat cheese pairs so well with the sweetness of the beets.
2) With a side of grilled chicken
3) Added to another salad. One of my favorite ways to serve salad is to have different veggies separated out or different kinds of salads separated out and then I mix it all together as I eat it.
4) Double the recipe to make it more of a meal

How do you store it?

In an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.

Can you make it in advance?

Yes, you can make it and store it in the fridge for a few days before.

A plate full of salads, such as French beetroot salad.

Other healthy salads and sides you may enjoy:

This Lightened Up Broccoli Salad is my go-to broccoli salad. It is a healthier version of the classic recipe and it is delish!

I love this Lemon Arugula Salad. It is a copy cat Grimaldi’s salad recipe and it hits the spot.

This Asian Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad has so much flavor! It’s a fun way to prepare brussels sprouts.

This Keto Green Bean Recipe is full of garlic, lemon and almonds! It’s a great way to prepare green beans.

This white asparagus with provencal mayo recipe. Its a classic French side dish that tastes amazing.

Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!

4.73 from 11 votes

French Beet Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette (Paleo, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free)

Servings: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
French Beet Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette (Paleo, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free) | Perchance to Cook
A fresh and delicious naturally sweet beet salad made with boiled beets and seasoned with a simple mustard vinaigrette.

Ingredients 

  • 3 medium beets, washed and scrubbed
  • 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 Tbs horseradish mustard
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions 

  • Cut the beets in half and put them into a large pan.
  • Fill the pan with water, until the beets are just covered.
  • Set the heat to high until the water boils. Then lower to medium.
  • Boil the beets for 35 minutes, until fork tender or you can easily stab it with a knife.
  • Drain the beets and let them cool.
  • Once the beets cool, dice them.
  • While dicing, you’ll notice that the outer skin easily falls off– throw the skin away.
  • Put the diced beets into a bowl and set aside while you make the dressing.
  • In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, black pepper, and salt together. Pour the dressing on top of the diced beets. Mix and serve.

Notes

  • Instead of apple cider vinegar, you can use tarragon vinegar.
  • Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcalCarbohydrates: 2.1gProtein: 0.3gFat: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad
Cuisine: French
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8 Comments

  1. Thank you! I used to live in the South-West of France (Basque country), and I loved buying the salad beets to eat on their own or to add to salads. Your recipe is perfect! 🙂

  2. Our hotel in Lourdes included meals and served beets several times on our 10 day trip. I had been missing them so much and now I have found your easy & delicious recipe! hank you so much. Perhaps one day we will both get back to France and eat beets there again !!! Stay well. Lee5 stars