I guess eating beetroot is a very Russian thing to do. I grew up with my grandma making delicious things out of cooked beetroots, so I really wanted to re-create one of my favourite salads raw, and the result was super delicious!

It’s wonderful to brighten up your table for a party, eat it as a side dish for any meal.

Makes 3-4 small side salad portions

Ingredients for a raw beetroot salad recipe:

For the beetroot marinade:

• 1 large beetroot (shredded)
• a squeeze of lime or lemon
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

For the garlic cream/mayonnaise:

• 1.5 cups cashews (soaked)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (soaked)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 or more large fresh spicy red chilli peppers (the length of your middle finger)
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. salt
• 1-2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• up to 1 cup water (add this bit by bit to reach desired consistency)

Extra toppings:

• 1/2 avocado 
• Walnuts

How to make the healthy beetroot salad:

This salad tastes much better if you leave it made in the fridge overnight, but if you are in a rush, marinating it beforehand for at least 30 minutes will work just as well.

• First of all, shred the beetroot into thin strips and transfer to a large bowl. Add the lemon, apple cider vinegar and olive oil and leave to marinate for a couple of hours. 
• The garlic mayo is very easy to make, just blend all of the listed ingredients in a high speed blender and that’s it! This is double the ingredients you will need, but it will be hard to blend otherwise, plus you can always save the sauce and use it as a dressing for another salad.
• Experiment with the flavours, add some chilli if you like it spicy, or more vinegar if you like it sour, its totally up to you.
• Mix the mayo with the beetroot.
• Cut half or a whole avocado into tiny cubes and add it to the salad, this will give it an egg-like taste. You may also wish to add some walnuts for the crunch.
• Decorate with some seeds or herbs and enjoy as a yummy side dish.