Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Recipe for a Latvian Beet and Bean Salad (Pupiņu un Biešu Salāti)

Läti peedi-oasalat. Latvian beet and kidney bean salad.  Pupiņi un Biešu Salāti. Rūjienas salāti.

A few years ago Saveur, the American food magazine, featured some Latvian recipes (Latvians, remember, are our Southern neighbours). Among them was a recipe for beet and bean salad, Pupiņu un Biešu Salāti, that caught my attention. I love beetroot, and cook and eat various beetroot salads quite frequently. Some of my favourite beet salad recipes have been featured here on Nami-Nami as well over the last 9+ years, like the Russian vinaigrette salad, beet and potato salad, layered vegetable salad with smoked salmon, to name just a few.

Given my love of beets and the simplicity of the salad, it was only the matter of time I made this salad. We loved it, a lot, although the salad is probably more Russian than Latvian in its origins (any Latvian readers wanna comment on this?). It has also proved to be highly popular with my Estonian readers (like the ones on Nami-Nami's Facebook page), and who knows, perhaps you'll be positively surprised as well :)

Just a handful of ingredients, but surprisingly lot of flavour. Gluten-free as well.

Latvian Beet and Bean Salad 
(Peedi-oasalat)
Adapted from Saveur.com
Serves six to eight

Läti peedi-oasalat. Latvian beet and kidney bean salad.  Pupiņi un Biešu Salāti. Rūjienas salāti.

200 g sour cream (20%)
100 g mayonnaise
400-500 g cooked beetroot*
2 cans of kidney beans (about 400 g/12 oz each), rinsed and drained
4 pickles, chopped
salt and pepper
fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped

* You can use boiled, steamed or roasted beet to make this salad. I use coarsely shredded boiled beetroot. 

In a large bowl, whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise until combined, then season with salt and pepper. Add the beet, beans and pickles, folding them into the sour cream and mayonnaise dressing. Season again, then transfer the salad into the serving dish and sprinkle with herbs.

8 comments:

Alanna Kellogg said...

Ahh lovely ... I’ve got leftover beetroot from Christmas and kidney beans in the pantry. Everything on hand! Are your kidney bean cans about 450g? Happy New Year, my dear friend Pille!

Digital Kitchen Scale said...

Wonderful recipe!
I haven't try to make this kind of salad. see also: http://goo.gl/NQRBsQ.

Unknown said...

Yammy. I'll try it at home. By this time you may see http://bit.ly/1BKrafv . Here you will find most popular recipes.

Unknown said...

wonderful:)

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

How wonderfully simple and looks fabulous. I think just the idea will pop out one day and appear on our table soon.

Anna said...

I really don't know the origin, if it's latvian or russian or whatever, but we love them here in Valmiera, even though I have not seen them much elswhere in Latvia. The other similar version of this salad is made with canned green peas, and is called Rūjienas salāti (which is small town near Estonian border) :)

MrMagic57 said...

I had an absolutely delicious beet salad at Jaunpils Castle and am looking for a good recipe. What kind of pickle do you use?

Pille said...

MrMagic57 - I'm writing from Estonia, a land of fermented foods and pickles. Any regular supermarket pickles available here in Estonia would work, but that probably doesn't help you :) I'd choose something not too sweet and possibly with dill fronds and/or mustard seeds.