Beet Salad with Pickled Mushrooms and Caramelized Shallots

From the kitchen of Carly

Roasted beets meet tangy pickled mushrooms and sweet caramelized shallots in this vegetable-forward salad. Sherry vinegar and a touch of honey balance the earthiness, while fresh tarragon brightens every bite. Simple, elegant, and deeply satisfying.

Beet Salad with Pickled Mushrooms and Caramelized Shallots

Earthy roasted beets get the restaurant treatment here, glossed in a sharp vinegar dressing spiked with honey and garlic, then topped with pickled mushrooms and shallots gone sweet and crispy at the edges. The trick is letting the mushrooms sit in the dressing to absorb all that flavor, while the shallots add a textural contrast that keeps this from feeling heavy.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 4 lb. beets
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
  • 1/2 cupextra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 oz. wild mushrooms, sliced
  • 6 tbsp. sherry vinegar or raspberry vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 2garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 6shallots, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped tarragon
  • 1Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cover the beets with cold water in a large pot, season the water generously with salt, and bring to a boil. Drop the heat to medium-low and simmer until a knife slides in without resistance, 40 to 60 minutes. Drain, let the beets cool until handleable, then slip the skins off with your hands (gloves are worth wearing here to avoid staining). Slice into wedges and transfer to a large bowl.

  2. While the beets cook, set a large skillet over high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges, about 6 minutes.

  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, garlic, 1/4 cup of oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Fold in the cooked mushrooms and leave them to pickle in the dressing for at least 30 minutes.

  4. Wipe the skillet clean, then pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and set it over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, about 4 minutes. Pull off the heat and let them cool.

  5. Lift the mushrooms out of the dressing and set aside. Pour the dressing over the beets, scatter in the tarragon, and toss until every wedge is well coated. Arrange the caramelized shallots and pickled mushrooms on top, then finish with a generous grind of black pepper.

  6. The beets can be boiled up to 2 days ahead. Leave them unpeeled, cover, and refrigerate. The dressing can be prepared and the mushrooms pickled up to 1 day in advance; store them covered and separately in the refrigerator.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Wear gloves when handling cooled beets unless you enjoy walking around with stained fingertips for days. It's not worth the look.
  • Don't skip the step of cooking mushrooms until they're actually golden and crisp, not just soft. That crust is where the flavor is.
  • Tarragon is essential here, not optional. It echoes the vinegar and brightens everything without tasting like anise if you use a light hand.
  • Make the mushrooms and dressing a day ahead if you can. They taste sharper and deeper the next day, and this is actually a better dish made in stages.

Variations

  • Swap wild mushrooms for cremini or a mix of cremini and shiitake if that's what you have. Less funk, more straightforward earthiness, but still good.
  • Use red wine vinegar if sherry isn't on hand. It's brighter, almost jammy, and works especially well if you're doubling the honey slightly.
  • Add crumbled goat cheese or tangy feta right before serving. It's not in the base recipe but it's the move if you want protein and a creamy counterpoint.
  • Roast the shallots instead of pan-frying them. Slice thin, toss with oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 400°F until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Make ahead and storage

Store dressed beets and pickled mushrooms separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add the crispy shallots just before serving so they don't soften. The whole assembled salad doesn't keep well.