Like Russian salad? Like Haitian cuisine? Well, what do you know! The wonderful Haitian folks have their own spin of the classic Russian salad, and today we'll show you how to make it. Nice and easy.
Haitian Russian salad (AKA salade Russe, or salade de betteraves) is quite similar to the one you may already be familiar with but with few other ingredients that are native to Haiti.
What you get is a tasty potato, carrots, and mayo salad with added beetroots and peppers.
If your alarm bells went off at the sound of "mayo", worry not. We are using a vegan mayo in this recipe, so you don't have to worry about food allergens.
We can even show you how to make homemade vegan mayo if you have a little time!
So, what's so lovely about this Haitian beet salad? It's colourful and tasty, but with a surprisingly subtle flavour for being a Caribbean dish.
As such, you can pair it with other main dishes without taking away from them. Basically, it's an ideal side dish.
And because of the beets and the peppers, it's actually healthier than the classic Russian salad.
Beetroots, in particular, are a bountiful supply of antioxidants, as you can tell by their rich deep red or purple colour
We love them and even started growing them in our veggie garden recently. Check out these other beetroot recipes if you wish!
Overall, this Haitian potato salad is dead simple to put together, it's tasty and nutritious, and you can keep it around in the fridge for a good week.
Sounds great, right? Jump right into it then and enjoy it!
And if you're looking for more mayo-dressed salad ideas, check out this pulled jackfruit "chicken" salad or this Nigerian bean and vegetable salad!
Ingredients
| Baby Potatoes | 450 g |
| Large Carrots | 2 |
| Cooked Beetroots | 4 |
| Celery Sticks | 2 |
| Shallots | 1 |
| Green Peppers | 1 |
| Vegan Mayorecipe | 6 tbsp |
Step 1
Wash the carrots and baby potatoes, keep the skin on, and add them to a pot of water.
If you're using raw beets, add them to the pot as well.
Bring the water to a boil and simmer the vegetables covered for 15 minutes.
They're ready when you can easily poke them through with a fork.
Step 2
Meanwhile, finely dice the cooked beetroots, celery, shallot, and green pepper.
Save a small cup of beet brine water or cooking water for the salad dressing.
Step 3
Now, drain the potatoes and carrots and let them cool down.
Scrape the carrots' skin with a knife; we recommend keeping the potato skin on, but you can also peel it off.
Then, dice the veggies into small chunks.
Step 4
Mix the vegan mayo with the reserved beetroot water in a bowl.
Finally, add the prepared vegetables to the bowl and toss all until well coated.
Serve your delicious Haitian potato salad cold.
Tips
Add garden peas for a boost of proteins.
You can use store-bought vegan mayo or try our homemade cashew mayo with aquafaba. As an alternative to mayo, you can make the salad dressing with two tablespoons of wholegrain mustard, one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper to taste.