Buraczki (Polish Beet Salad)

Growing up in a Polish American household means that beets are a celebrated part of daily life. The root vegetable is healthy, versatile and always adds a bright pop of color to the table. Beets can be prepared sweet or savory, and there are an infinite amount of ways to prepare Polish beet salads and soups. One salad I find myself making most often in the autumn is buraczki. 

For me, buraczki symbolizes the start of the season. Beets are among the last fresh vegetables pulled from the garden during harvest, and they symbolize preparation for the winter ahead. We eat buraczki year-round, but it’s a reset for the season, reminding me that each season has its own moment to showcase beets—the Christmas season features warm beet soup, the spring sees grated beets turned into horseradish for Easter, summer means cold creamy beet soup known as chłodnik, and autumn highlights this salad. 

As a child, the bright, tangy buraczki on the table was a fun complement to meat and potatoes. The vibrant magenta color of this salad provides contrast against the beautiful oranges and yellows of pumpkin and squash. I like grating fall apples with the beets for extra sweetness, though some prefer to leave the apples out or use onion instead. The tart apple helps balance the earthy flavor of the beets. 

For some, beets may taste like dirt because of a compound called geosmin. Geosmin is the compound that makes something smell earthy, and many find this particularly off-putting. Adding acid like vinegar or lemon juice to beets—like I do in this salad—can help balance the flavor and amplify the natural sweetness of the vegetable. 

While there is a bit of work to prepare beets and they can be finicky, a perfectly cooked beet is worth the work. Some swear by simply sliding the skins right off, while others may use a peeler to remove the skins. In my kitchen, I prefer a peeler for consistency (and my hands don’t get stained from the beets).

In Poland, beets are often paired with spices like caraway, horseradish, dill, marjoram or black pepper. Here, I use caraway as the spice, adding a citrusy, peppery flavor to the simple sour cream dressing. The contrast of the creamy dressing with the tart and sweet apples and beets is the perfect combination. It’s a great salad to serve cold, and it’s quick and easy to pull out of the fridge. 

For people who say they don’t like beets, I hope the sour-sweet and tangy flavors of buraczki for a dinner party or easy weeknight meal will change their minds.