You know those dishes where the first bite makes you stop for a second and think, wow? Turkish beetroot salad (Pancar Salatasi) is exactly that. It’s a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. It’s the kind of salad that ends up being everyone’s favorite. Plus, it keeps well in the fridge for days.
In Turkey, beetroot is especially popular during the colder months, and the most common way to enjoy it is in a simple salad.
This Turkish beetroot salad with walnuts and pomegranates (cevizli ve narli pancar salatasi) has become more and more popular in recent years, and it’s a regular on our table as well. We usually prepare a big bowl and keep it in the fridge, letting it accompany our dinners for a few days.
If you’re looking for an easy and delicious way to add beetroot to your meals, this salad is a great place to start.
About the Ingredients
You can find the full ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Beetroots: We cook the beetroots ourselves, starting from raw beets. If you’re short on time, you can also use store-bought cooked beetroots. That said, cooking them at home is honestly very easy. You can even cook the beets a day ahead and put the salad together the next day.
Fresh herbs: We use fresh dill and parsley in this salad. If you like, you can also add some finely chopped spring onions and fresh mint leaves for extra freshness.
Pomegranate arils: We really recommend using fresh pomegranates and removing the arils yourself rather than buying the pre-packaged ones from the supermarket. The ready-to-use ones tend to lose both flavor and their fresh look as they sit. If you need help, you can check out our post on how to deseed a pomegranate.
Walnuts: Walnuts are a great match for salads in Turkish cuisine. They add a nice balance to the sweetness and tanginess of the salad. If you prefer a nut-free salad, you can simply leave them out.
Dressing: The dressing is made with lemon juice and olive oil, along with garlic, salt, and pul biber. Pul biber is a Turkish-style red pepper flakes with a gentle heat. You can adjust the amount to your taste or leave it out completely if you prefer a non-spicy salad.
How To Make Pancar Salatasi
Turkish Beetroot Salad (pancar salatasi) is as simple as it gets. Once you cook the beetroots, everything comes together very quickly.
Start by boiling the beetroots until tender. Then peel and dice them, and combine with the fresh herbs, walnuts, and pomegranate arils.
Prepare a simple dressing with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pul biber. Pour it over the salad, give everything a good mix, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. That’s it—it’s ready to serve.
You can find the full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below the post.
Serving Suggestions
Turkish beetroot salad works beautifully as part of a complete Turkish-style meal.
A menu with Kuzu Tandır (Turkish Roasted Lamb), Ic Pilav (Turkish Rice with Currants), and this pancar salatası makes a great option for special dinners or when you want to set a more generous table.
We also often serve it alongside dishes like:
- Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté)
- Nohut Yemeği (Turkish Chickpea Stew)
- Köfte (Turkish Meatballs)
- Tavuklu Pilav (Turkish Rice with Chicken)
The fresh and tangy flavor of this salad pairs well with both meat and legume-based dishes, making it an easy salad to fit into many different meals.
Also, pancar salatası works really well as part of a meze spread. You can serve it alongside meze dishes like:
What Else Can You Add?
Turkish beet salad is great as it is, but you can also add the following ingredients if you like.
- Pomegranate molasses (nar eksisi): If you have it, pomegranate molasses is a great addition to the dressing. About 1 tablespoon is enough to add a richer flavor.
- Green apple: A crisp green apple, such as Granny Smith, works really well here. Dice it into small cubes, just like the beets, for a fresh crunch.
Can I Use Store-Bought Cooked Beets?
Yes, you can. If you’re short on time or simply don’t feel like cooking beets from scratch, store-bought cooked beets work just fine. We personally like cooking them ourselves, but this salad is still delicious with ready-cooked beets.
Can I Use the Beets Raw?
The key to this salad is using cooked beetroots, which gives it that soft texture and balanced flavor.
That said, you can eat beets raw if you prefer. If you go that route, we recommend grating them coarsely rather than dicing them. Grated beets work much better when eaten raw.
Storage
Store your leftover Turkish beetroot salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you take it out, give it a good mix and taste again. If needed, add a little more salt and lemon juice to freshen it up before serving.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Yes, absolutely. Turkish beetroot salad is actually perfect for making ahead. You can prepare it a day in advance and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve. In fact, letting it sit for a few hours helps the flavors come together even better.
Just give it a quick mix and taste before serving, and adjust the salt or lemon juice if needed.
More Turkish Salads
- Mevsim Salatasi (Turkish Lettuce Salad)
- Rus Salatasi (Russian Salad)
- Patates Salatasi (Turkish Potato Salad)
- Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad)
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe
Pancar Salatasi (Turkish Beetroot Salad)
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
- 500 grams beetroots washed, skin on
- ½ cup fresh dill finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 30 grams walnuts roughly chopped
- 60 grams pomegranate arils plus extra for garnish
Dressing
- Juice of 1 large lemon about 3 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon pul biber Turkish red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 garlic clove grated or mashed
- ¼ cup olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the washed beetroots (with the skins on) in a pot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let them simmer until tender. This can take 40–50 minutes, depending on their size.
- Drain the beetroots and rinse under cold water. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skins. You may want to wear gloves, as beetroots can stain your hands.
- Dice the peeled beetroots and transfer them to a large salad bowl.
- Add the chopped dill, parsley, walnuts, and pomegranate arils.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, pul biber, salt, garlic, and olive oil until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Garnish with extra pomegranate arils before serving.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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