Winter salad with buckwheat, roasted beets, and forest mushrooms - photo 1
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Winter salad with buckwheat, roasted beets, and forest mushrooms

Salads Regional Cuisine of Poland 90 min Medium 9 wyświetleń ~31.72 PLN - (0)
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Description

A salad full of authentic winter flavors inspired by the regional cuisine of Poland — it combines roasted buckwheat with baked beets, sauerkraut, aromatic forest mushrooms, and delicate cottage cheese. The addition of fresh apple brings the desired crunch and acidity, while the buttermilk dressing with apple cider vinegar and a touch of honey (optional) ties everything together, creating a sweet-sour-umami contrast. The dish has a layered structure and a rich flavor profile: earthy beets, smoky mushrooms, slightly sour cabbage, and creamy cottage cheese. Great as a standalone dish for lunch, an appetizer for the holiday table in winter, or a hearty salad for a family gathering. It presents beautifully on a flat platter — colors: deep burgundy beets, green accents of chives, beige grains, and white lumps of cottage cheese.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (15)

Servings:
4
  • Toasted buckwheat groats 200 g
  • Beets (raw) 500 g
  • Sauerkraut 250 g
  • Semi-fat cottage cheese 200 g
  • Buttermilk 100 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Apple cider vinegar 15 ml
  • Apple 0.8 szt.
  • Wild mushrooms (fresh) 200 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Black pepper 4 szczypty
  • Chives 0.3 pęczków
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Dried plums 80 g
  • Walnuts 50 g
  • Honey 15 ml
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~31.72 PLN (7.93 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Buckwheat

1

Prepare the buckwheat. Pour 200 g of buckwheat into a sieve and rinse under cold running water, rubbing the grains with your fingers until the water runs clear. Transfer the buckwheat to a pot with a capacity of about 1.5–2 l. Pour in two volumes of boiling water (about 400 ml). Add 1 g of salt (first salting). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 12–15 minutes until all the water is absorbed. After cooking, remove from heat, leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork to separate the grains and cool to room temperature.

Ingredients: Toasted buckwheat groats, Salt
Use a medium pot with a thick bottom and a tight-fitting lid. Do not stir the groats while cooking — it will disrupt the steaming. Properly cooked groats are fluffy, not mushy.

Beets

2

Preheat the oven to 200°C (top-bottom). Thoroughly wash 500 g of beets, trim the roots and leaves. Dry with a towel, wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil (to prevent drying out) and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 45–60 minutes (depending on size) until they are soft — you can check with a fork: it should go in fairly easily. After baking, set aside to cool, then remove the foil, gently rub off the skin under cold water or peel with a kitchen knife. Cut the beets into wedges or cubes of about 1.5–2 cm.

Ingredients: Beets (raw)
Use kitchen gloves when unwrapping the hot foil. Do not peel the beets while they are hot — the skin comes off more easily after they have cooled slightly. A common mistake: cutting too finely — the beet should retain its texture in the salad.

Cabbage

3

Prepare the sauerkraut: if it is very sour or watery, rinse it briefly under cold water (10–15 seconds) and drain in a colander, then finely chop with a knife. After grating, gently squeeze out the excess juice with your hands or in a fine sieve. If the cabbage is moderately sour, skip the rinsing — it will retain more probiotics and flavor.

Ingredients: Sauerkraut
Use a wooden board and a sharp knife. Do not press too hard — leave some moisture for the flavors to combine in the salad.

Mushrooms

4

Clean 200 g of mushrooms with a brush or a cloth; avoid soaking them in water. Cut larger caps into slices about 5 mm thick. Heat a pan with a diameter of 26–28 cm, add 1 tablespoon (15 g) of rapeseed oil. When the oil starts to shimmer gently, add the mushrooms and sauté over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring every 1–2 minutes, until most of the water evaporates and the edges begin to lightly brown. Season to taste with a pinch of salt (about 1 g) and a pinch of pepper (about 1 g). Set aside to cool.

Ingredients: Wild mushrooms (fresh), Rapeseed oil, Salt, Black pepper
Use a non-stick pan or cast iron. Do not overcrowd the pan — the mushrooms will release water and instead of browning, they will steam. If they are very moist, fry in batches.

Preparation of toppings

5

Wash the apple (150 g), cut it in half, remove the core, and dice it into small cubes of about 1 cm. Crumble the cottage cheese (200 g) with a fork into small lumps or cut it into 1 cm cubes, depending on your preferred texture. If you are using dried plums (optional 80 g), slice them into thin strips. Chop the walnuts (optional 50 g) into larger pieces with a knife; for a more intense flavor, you can briefly toast them in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes — be careful not to burn them.

Ingredients: Apple, Semi-fat cottage cheese, Dried plums, Walnuts
Use a sharp knife for apples and a sturdy cutting board. When crumbling the cheese, work gently to avoid mashing it into a paste.

Dressing

6

In a small bowl, prepare the dressing: pour in 100 ml of buttermilk, add 15 g of rapeseed oil (the remaining tablespoon), 15 g of apple cider vinegar, 4 g of salt (be careful — the cabbage is already salty), and 2 g of freshly ground pepper. If you want to balance the acidity, optionally add 15 g of honey and mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork until smooth. Taste and adjust: if it's too sour, add 5–10 g of honey; if it's too bland, add more vinegar or salt to taste.

Ingredients: Buttermilk, Rapeseed oil, Apple cider vinegar, Salt, Black pepper, Honey
Use a small bowl and a whisk or fork. The dressing should be liquid, slightly creamy — the buttermilk should add smoothness, but not the thickness of yogurt.

Assembly

7

In a large bowl (2–3 l), combine the cooled buckwheat (200 g), diced roasted beets, drained sauerkraut (250 g), cooled mushrooms, chopped apple, and cottage cheese. Gently mix with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients without mashing them. Drizzle 2/3 of the prepared dressing (start with a smaller amount) and gently mix again. Taste and add more dressing, salt, or pepper if needed. Optionally, you can add chopped dried plums and sprinkle with toasted walnuts before serving.

Ingredients: Toasted buckwheat groats, Beets (raw), Sauerkraut, Wild mushrooms (fresh), Apple, Semi-fat cottage cheese, Dried plums, Walnuts, Buttermilk, Rapeseed oil, Apple cider vinegar
Use a large, flat mixing bowl so the ingredients have space and the beets do not get crushed. Gently mix from the bottom up to preserve the structure of the cheese and groats.

Serving and resting

8

Before serving, garnish the salad with finely chopped chives (30 g) and possibly an additional portion of nuts. It is best to let the salad sit for 15–30 minutes at room temperature for the flavors to meld. Serve on a large flat platter or portion onto plates. The salad tastes good both slightly chilled and at room temperature.

Ingredients: Chives, Walnuts
Decorate just before serving to keep the chives fresh. If preparing in advance, do not add the nuts or cheese — add them just before serving to maintain the textures.

Fun Fact

💡

Buckwheat and forest mushrooms are a classic winter combination in many regions of Poland — in the past, such dishes provided energy and warmth during long winter days, and sauerkraut was a primary source of vitamin C.

Best for

zimowe rodzinne obiady świąteczne spotkania przyjęcia z regionalnymi smakami

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve on a wide platter, sprinkled with fresh chives and optional nuts. As a side, serve dark rye bread or sourdough. The salad pairs wonderfully with roasted duck or smoked sausage as a light appetizer.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Add the cottage cheese and nuts just before serving to maintain their texture. If the salad has been in the refrigerator, take it out 15–20 minutes before serving to allow it to reach room temperature.

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