The Turkish name of this salad is Pink Sultan Salad. Even though I do this this is a pretty name, please don’t think that I’ve made it up. A quick search on the web will be the proof, that this name is a common one. Besides it is definitely more romantic to call this salad Pink Sultan Salad. So let us all be sultans of our home and prepare and enjoy this salad with an amazing color.
As the beautiful color indicated beetroots are good for your health. It has antioxidants, it is anti-inflammatory and a perfect aid detoxification. Blending it with plain yogurt adds to its health benefits.
Another benefit of this salad – or perhaps I should call it a dip – is that it can be prepared raw. It has only 3 basic ingredients besides the beetroot itself: salt, garlic and plain yogurt.
I generally go for the raw option and enjoy the crunchiness and freshness of raw beetroot. However boiling or buying ready-to-use beetroots will also be fine.
How to Boil Beetroot?
If you choose to boil yourself just place the beetroot in a bowl and cover with water. Boil for about half an hour, poke with a thin knife, if the knife goes in without resistance it is a sign that the beetroot is ready. Take it out of the pot, set aside to cool. It will peel very easily. But make sure to peel in in a deep bowl as it is slippery and you wouldn’t want it to slip out out your hands and make a mess all around. Do the same while grating. You might even consider wearing gloves and an apron.
Fine Grated Beetroot 
Grated Beetroot
When grating, make sure to grate half of it with the coarse side of the grater and the other half with the fine part. Please do watch out, beetroot has a lovely color, but it does make a mess all around. Grating half coarse, half fine is for reducing crunchiness.
A simple trick about how much yogurt you need to add is to weigh the beetroot after peeling or grating and adding half the amount of yogurt. Try to add yogurt that is dry or strained. Also add crushed garlic and salt to taste. Make sure to use vegan yogurt to make this salad vegan.
What does beetroot go well with?
Feel free to add some chopped walnuts or a tablespoon of mayonnaise if you want, they both blend well with the flavors of this salad. Sliced cucumbers can also add some freshness to this salad, but they get colored with the beetroot and tend to look messy I generally avoid adding.
Perhaps the most difficult part is decorating as the beetroot paints anything it touches. This time I just added some chopped yellow peppers and a few corn seeds.
Hope you will try and enjoy this refreshening salad. If you liked it, you might also like the Colorful Red Cabbage Salad too.
You will notice that this salad is very low in calories, which is another reason to have it. Enjoy!
Pink Sultan Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium red beetroot
- 250+/- grams yogurt plain
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- Some choose to boil the beetroot before hand. If you do so, boil covered in water without peeling until you can easily poke it with a thin knife. Should take about half an hour. If you choose not to boil move on to the next step.
- Peel and cut the beetroot into half.
- Whether you boil or not, weigh the beetroot after you peel it and use half the yogurt. That is if you weigh 500 grams of beetroot, use 250 grams of yogurt.
- Grate half of the beetroot with the coarse side of the grater and the other half with the thinner side.
- When the beetroot has cooled add the yogurt and minced/crushed garlic and salt.
- Mix well untill well blended. Taste adjust the salt, garnish and serve.