Vegetarian Recipes

Beet Salad

Beets are in my top 5 favorite vegetables, for SURE. They’re sweet yet earthy and visually stunning. They can be enjoyed 100 different ways, but my favorite way is simple: as the star ingredient in a salad! This Beet Salad is made extra simple by skipping the step of cooking beets and opening up a convenient, budget-friendly can instead. The shelf life of canned veggies can’t be beat (ooh, good opportunity for a food pun there!) and they’re way less expensive than fresh. This beet orange salad is bright, bold, and full of contrasting flavors and textures. I love how it’s ready in minutes and is the easiest side or light lunch all year round.

Easy Beet Salad Recipe

This cold beet salad brings together sweet canned beets, juicy orange segments, crumbled feta, fresh mint, and a quick homemade dressing with red onion, garlic, vinegar, beet juice (from the canned beets), and a little sugar. I think it’s perfect for a summer picnic or as a fresh, no-fuss side dish for dinner!

A lot of canned veggies are loaded with sodium, but canned beets are significantly less expensive than fresh, so I went for it. And honestly, I’m SO happy with how this salad turned out. (You can always omit the salt in the dressing recipe if you’re trying to watch your sodium intake.)

Overhead view of a beetroot salad in a bowl.

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Beet Salad

This bright and easy Beet Salad is made with canned beets, oranges, feta, fresh mint, and a simple homemade dressing. Quick and delicious!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Total Cost $4.59 recipe / $1.14 serving

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings servings (½ cup each)

Calories 269kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

Zester
Small Mixing Bowl
Medium Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

1 orange $0.77
1 tsp orange zest about ½ an orange zested, $0.00
¼ cup beet juice from the canned beets, $0.00
¼ cup white vinegar $0.08
1 garlic clove minced, (about ½ tsp) $0.03
¼ cup red onion diced, (¼ onion) $0.26
2 Tbsp sugar $0.04
1 tsp salt $0.01
½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.02
¼ cup olive oil $0.79
1 15 oz can whole beets halved, $0.99
1.5 oz feta cheese crumbled, $0.71
0.25 oz fresh mint torn, (half of a 0.5oz clamshell) $0.89

Instructions

Gather ingredients.
Zest 1 tsp of orange (about ½ an orange) and set aside for dressing. Then, carefully shave off each end of the orange so the juicy part is exposed. Then, carefully shave the entire peel and pith with a knife so all you have left is the juicy interior of the orange.
Carefully remove each juicy segment of the orange by tracing the inside of each segment, stopping at the midpoint of the orange, and set those aside. This knife skill is called a “suprême.”
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together any juice from the leftover insides of the orange pith, beet juice, white vinegar, garlic, diced red onion, orange zest, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Then, slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify. *
In a medium-size bowl, combine halved beets, orange segments, feta cheese, and torn fresh mint.
Toss to combine with a tablespoon at a time of the prepared dressing until it’s coated but not swimming in the dressing. Reserve any extra dressing for future salads or use if you plan to serve this beet salad over greens.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*You can also make the dressing in a blender. If you do this, add all the ingredients in Step 4 (except for the onion) to the blender and blend. Stir the diced onion in after.

Nutrition

how to make Beet Salad step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

A knife cutting the skin off an orange on a wooden cutting board.

Prep the orange: Zest 1 tsp of orange zest (about half an orange) and set it aside for the dressing. Now, carefully use a knife to shave off each end of 1 orange to expose the juicy part. Don’t cut too much off; we just want to expose the flesh so it’s easier to peel. Then, carefully shave the peel and pith off the whole orange until all you have left is the juicy interior of the orange.

A knife cutting an orange using the supreme method.

Use your knife to carefully remove each orange segment by tracing the inside of each membrane. Slide your knife along one side of a segment, right up against the membrane, stopping at the midpoint of the orange. Then, do the same on the other side to release the wedge. Work your way around the orange, gently lifting out each segment and setting them aside.

This knife skill is known as a “suprême.” If you want to see exactly how it’s done, I’ve got a step-by-step video on Instagram that walks you through it!

Olive oil being streamed into the dressing for a beet salad.

Make the dressing: Squeeze out any leftover juice from the insides of the orange peel into a small mixing bowl, and add 1 tsp orange zest, ¼ cup beet juice (from the canned beets), ¼ cup white vinegar, 1 minced garlic clove, ¼ cup diced red onion, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper. Mix to combine, then slowly stream in ¼ cup olive oil while whisking to make a temporary emulsion.

You can also make this dressing in a blender. Add all the ingredients, minus the diced onion, and blend. Then just mix in the onion at the end!

The ingredients for a beet salad in a bowl.

Make the salad: Add one 15 oz. can whole beets (halved, without the juice), the orange segments, 1.5 oz feta cheese, and 0.25 oz torn fresh mint to a medium-sized bowl. Toss with a tablespoon of the homemade dressing at a time until it’s coated but not swimming in the dressing. Store any leftover dressing in the fridge for future salads. I served my beet salad over a bed of greens, so I also drizzled some of the dressing over the greens before adding the salad on top. Enjoy!

A fork taking some beet salad from a bowl.

Variations to Try!

I’ve balanced the flavors in this salad to hit the perfect sweet, tangy, and fresh combination, but feel free to make it your own. You can use what you’ve got in the fridge or switch things up with a few simple tweaks. Here are some easy ways to customize this salad to your taste:

Swap the feta for goat cheese or mozzarella pearls
Serve the salad over a bed of arugula, spinach, or spring mix to make it more of a leafy salad
Add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for extra crunch
Swap the orange for grapefruit or try another fruit like sliced apple or pear
Try fresh cilantro or basil in place of the mint
Mix in craisins or raisins for a pop of sweetness

As for fresh beets, I made and tested this recipe specifically using canned beets to keep the price down and make it easy to make year-round. However, I do love whole raw beets if I can get them for a good price! If you have fresh beets on hand, wash then roast or boil them until tender, then peel and slice. Just remember you’ll be missing the beet juice for the dressing when using fresh beets.

A simple balsamic glaze would be nice drizzled over this salad, but skipping the homemade dressing I’ve shared above would change the overall flavor of your finished beet salad.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this salad as-is as an elevated side salad or turn it into more of a meal. I think this salad is delicious during summer, but I could totally see it as part of a holiday spread, too!

I usually pile my feta beet salad over a bed of greens, but you can also build it out by adding a protein. Air fried chickpeas would be an easy vegetarian option, and if you’re not keeping it meatless, grilled shrimp, shredded rotisserie chicken, or pan-seared salmon also work really well.

Storage Instructions

This beetroot salad holds up well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2-3 days. But for the best texture and color, I recommend storing the components separately. The beetroot will naturally stain the other ingredients over time, so if you want to keep everything looking fresh and vibrant, wait to toss it all together until you’re ready to serve. Store the dressing in a jar or small container in the fridge and add it just before serving.

Greek Salad

$11.37 recipe / $1.42 serving

Overhead view of a wedge salad on a plate.

Classic Wedge Salad

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BLT Avocado Brunch Salad

$9.23 recipe / $2.30 serving

Cobb Salad

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The post Beet Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Cherry Blondies

Whenever I’m craving something sweet, but I’m sick of the same old same old, I whip up a batch of these fudgy, chewy, fragrant Cherry Blondies! The creamy white chocolate, tart cherries, and crunchy almonds make this recipe stand out. This is not your typical blondie! I don’t use almond extract too often, but pairing its flavor with cherries and white chocolate is just a no-brainer to me. (But a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!)

Easy Recipe for Cherry Blondies

Blondies are like brownies, just without the cocoa. Instead, they’re made with brown sugar and vanilla, and have the BEST buttery flavor and chewy texture.

For these cherry blondies, I mix in canned cherry pie filling (it adds a sweet-tart cherry flavor without a lot of fuss or cost), slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips. I also brown the butter first to bring out a nutty, almost toffee-like richness that’s totally worth the extra few minutes. A mix of brown and white sugar strikes the perfect balance of moisture and structure, while a splash of almond extract adds a frangipane-style flavor. Bake them once, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to this combo. 😋

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Cherry Blondies

These easy Cherry Blondies are loaded with white chocolate, almonds, and cherry pie filling for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.82 recipe / $0.64 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 429kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

8×8” Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
3 Mixing Bowls
Sauce Pan
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour $0.28
½ tsp baking powder $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
1 large egg $0.29
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
½ tsp almond extract $0.15
½ cup cherry pie filling $0.73*
1½ sticks salted butter cut into cubes, $1.48
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
1 cup brown sugar $0.91
¼ cup white chocolate chips $0.42
¼ cup slivered almonds $0.87

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and cherry pie filling. Mix together and set aside.
Cube the butter and melt over medium heat until frothy, whisking once in a while to make sure the milk solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once butter is browned, it will have a nutty aroma and darken in color. (Babysit it! Don’t let it burn!) Remove from heat.
Combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Mix with a hand mixer on low until combined. Then, add the wet cherry mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Finally, gently mix in the dry flour mixture little by little until a batter forms.
Fold in white chocolate and almond slivers.
Transfer batter to greased and line baking dish and add some extra white chocolate and almonds on top, if you have them.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting. The interior may still be a little gooey. These are chewier than your typical brownie! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The ingredients in a can of cherry pie filling are pretty simple, but I have found the Duncan Hines Comstock brand “Simply Cherry” in a can to have fewer ingredients and no added coloring, so if you see it next to the regular cherry pie filling, you may want to spring for that can instead. You could try making these with fresh cherries, which I skipped because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, just make sure you pit them first!

Nutrition

how to make Cherry Blondies step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1¾ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Set this aside.

Cherry pie filling, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Set this aside for now as well.

Brown the butter: Add 1½ sticks of cubed salted butter to a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until frothy, being sure to whisk it once in a while to avoid the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Babysit it, and don’t let it burn! It typically takes about 5-8 minutes for butter to brown.

When the butter is browned, it’ll smell nutty and be darker in color. There will also be flecks of brown throughout (those are toasted milk solids, and they’re full of flavor). Remove it from the heat once done.

Brown and white sugar added to a bowl of browned butter.

Make the batter: Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar.

The wet ingredients for cherry blondies added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Use a hand mixer on low to combine the browned butter and sugars. Once mixed, add the wet cherry pie filling mixture and keep mixing until thoroughly combined.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Now, gently fold in the dry flour mixture a little at a time until a thick batter forms.

Slivered almonds added to the batter for cherry blondies.

Finally, fold in ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup slivered almonds.

The batter for cherry blondies in a lined baking dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If you have any extra, top the batter with a few white chocolate chips and slivered almonds to make it look extra pretty.

Finished homemade cherry blondies in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. They’re done once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let your homemade cherry blondies cool for 20 minutes before cutting for the best results. They may still be a little gooey! They’re definitely chewier than your average brownie but just as delicious. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of cherry blondies with one missing.

Tips for Browning Butter

I brown the butter in this cherry dessert recipe because it gives the blondies the most amazing, deep, nutty flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. You could skip this step and just melt it, but it definitely wouldn’t taste the same.

It’s honestly so easy to brown butter, and only takes about 5-8 minutes from start to finish! Here’s how to do it right (we also have a step-by-step breakdown with photos on how to brown butter you can check out, too!):

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. It makes it easier to see the color change.
Watch it closely. Browning happens fast, and it can burn before you know it. Stay nearby and use medium heat.
It’ll start to froth. That’s normal. Just keep gently stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Look for brown flecks. Those are the milk solids toasting, which is exactly what you want.
Pull it off the heat right away. As soon as it smells nutty and the color deepens, about 5 minutes, take it off the heat! It’s ready to use.

You can even make a big batch of browned butter and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and use it in future recipes. It’s obviously delicious in my cherry blondies recipe, but it’s also amazing tossed with plain pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies, or mixed into oatmeal.

Line your pan with parchment paper. It makes it way easier to lift the blondies out and slice them cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Let them cool in the pan. As good as they smell fresh out of the oven, I let my blondies cool for at least 20 minutes to help them set up properly. They’ll slice neater, and the texture will be just right.
Check for doneness with a toothpick. You’re looking for a mostly clean toothpick when inserted into your white chocolate cherry blondies. If you hit a cherry or a melty white chocolate chip, it might smear a bit, so try a second spot! Don’t forget, they may still be a little gooey on the inside rather than cakey.

Storage Instructions

Personally, I enjoy these cherry pie blondies cold! I like to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and grab one whenever I need a sweet pick-me-up. They’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when stored this way. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.