This Pickled Beet Carpaccio is a bright, refreshing salad for Spring, with lightly pickled raw shaved beets, watercress, crushed pistachio and a stunning horseradish cashew cream!

 Hai guys! Happy May! I’m v embarrassed to have let things go nearly a month since my last post…that hasn’t happened in quite awhile. The truth is that sometimes life stuff can just hit you way harder than you expect, the good and the bad, all at once.

And while I haven’t stopped making food (because duh, it’s my job- and April was a CRAZY busy month for making food, including this Pickled Beet Carpaccio which I promise I’ll get to in a moment) I have been experiencing a bit of writer’s block.

It’s hard to carve out time to write when the phone won’t stop ringing, events start booking back to back and sample menus, estimates, client agreements start to take over your life…or you know, whatever mundane work things take over your life. Being busy in my career is a good problem to have, I’ll admit, albeit sometimes overwhelming.

Writing also takes a backseat, for me at least, when personal poop hits the fan. My fiance’s only sister is fighting an incredibly tough battle with cancer. It sucks, guys. No other way to describe it. I’m sure I don’t have to explain to any of you who have been through the same journey with a loved one how difficult and painful it is. And so in the midst of all this we’ve decided push up our wedding plans (which were heretofore nonexistent because we’ve been total slackers up to this point), because it’s of the utmost importance that she be present to celebrate that moment with us.

So now we’re having our wedding in about four months, which is actually SO exciting and magical and beautiful, but also a little crazy and also strangley laced with a touch of sorrow. But it’s a good reminder that life goes on no matter what’s happening in our little bubble of reality- the happy, the sad, the insanely hectic, the EXPENSIVE haha- this too shall pass. So it’s best to reflect on the poignancy of life, embrace what’s good and always choose to celebrate it.

And what better way to celebrate life than with a vibrant salad like this Pickled Beet Carpaccio? I mean seriously, look at those colors. How could you not feel cheerful and optimistic about the future with this gorgeous plate of pink and green sitting in front of you? I made this for my local meal delivery service a couple of weeks ago and it was so pretty and full of nutritious vitality that I knew I had to share the recipe with all of you.

We’ve got:

raw pickled beets

peppery watercress

dollops of vegan horseradish cashew cream

crushed pistachio- gotta have a little sprinkle of crunch

You don’t event need a fancy dressing for this one, just a drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. It’s full of crunch and creaminess and acidity, and it’s just the thing I need to bring me back to life after a month that literally knocked me on my ass. It’s all good though, I have a feeling that May is going to be a little kinder to me, because that’s the usually the ebb and flow of things.

I hope you make this Pickled Beet Carpaccio! If you do, be sure to tag a picture on Instagram with #LePetitEats so I can see your gorgeous creation!

5 from 1 vote

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Pickled Beet Carpaccio

This Pickled Beet Carpaccio is a bright, refreshing salad for spring, with lightly pickled raw shaved beets, watercress, crushed pistachio and a stunning horseradish cashew cream!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword beet appetizer, meatless carpaccio, pickled beets recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Resting 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 120 kcal

Author Denisse

Ingredients

For the pickled beets:

• 4 medium beets
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

For the cashew horseradish cream:

• 1 cup cashews soaked in 3 cups of water for 1 hour up to 24 hours.
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoons horseradish
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 bunch watercress
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon pistachio nuts crushed
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Using a mandolin, slice beets into paper thin rounds.

2. Bring water and vinegar to a simmer in a small pot. Add maple syrup, salt, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and peppercorns and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Place beets into a bowl and pour the brine through a sieve over the beets. Cover bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes.

3. While the beets are pickling, make the cashew horseradish cream. Strain the soaked cashews and add them to a high speed blender. Add lemon juice, horseradish, salt and water and blend on high until smooth and creamy in consistency. Add the mixture to a piping bag and snip off the tip if piping onto salad.

4. Strain beets from brine and divide among plates, arranging in a single layer. Pipe dollops of horseradish cream on top of beets and top with a large pinch of watercress. Drizzle plates with lemon juice and olive oil and finish with crushed pistachios and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.

Recipe Notes

You can use microgreens instead of watercress or alfalfa or broccoli sprouts 

Products I recommend for this recipe: