“Cat, what’s wrong with you?” – this is the first thing my co-worker says to me on a conference call yesterday. Nice way to open a conversation right? “What are you talking about?” I retort, sort of curious but mostly panicked that he had in fact found out about all the things that are wrong with me. “You haven’t blogged in two weeks and your instagram feed… well, it’s boring!”

Wow, way to insult someone who’s like, so proud of their instagram feed.

But alas, it’s true. I’ve been quite sick the last couple of weeks – blame it on the change in weather which has gone from hot to cold to decidedly hot again; blame it on the fact that we are officially in “autumn”; blame it on the flu shot I had weeks ago; I don’t care… I just need to blame something for feeling god awful, sniffly and – this is how I know I’m sick – not hungry at all.

The change in season always affects my mood. To know that the days will only get shorter, the temperature cooler, and lament the fact, like I do every year, that I just didn’t get to the beach enough last summer. But what can I do? Besides make this awesome rossoli, a Finnish beetroot salad which is hot pink in all its natural goodness.

Served chilled, this salad is a perfect summer salad, to serve at a BBQ, picnic or honestly? I’d probably serve it in winter too, with a nice big pork roast. Mmmmm… maybe winter ain’t so bad.

Rossoli (Finnish beetroot salad)
400 grams canned or cooked beetroot in juice
2-3 large carrots
200 grams pickled gherkins
1 small onion
150mL sour cream (or to taste)
Lemon juice (half a lemon, or to taste)
Salt and cracked pepper (to taste)
  1. Chop the carrots into small cubes and boil until soft. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. Chop the beetroot, onion and gherkins into small cubes and add to a mixing bowl, including the beetroot juice from the can or pack.
  3. When the carrots are cooled, add them to the bowl.
  4. Mix with sour cream – this should give the dressing a radioactive pink colour, but it’s all natural!
  5. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve with meatballs, and top with chives.
Makes a big bowl of salad.

7 Thoughts on “recipe | rossoli (Finnish beetroot salad)

  1. sounds yummy cat!…i hear you on the moods during seasonal change!!…ps…i blame the flu shot πŸ™‚ xo

  2. Damned being sick – worst feeling in the world πŸ™ This beetroot salad looks delicious though. Looove beetroot πŸ™‚

  3. Fecking colder weather…ain’t nobody got time for dat πŸ™

  4. Oh memories! We usually have this at our family picnics. I really like this salad, it’s so fresh and a bit of creaminess is nice too πŸ™‚

  5. Awwww hope you’re feeling better now and I know what you mean by don’t feel like eating when you’re sick and weather has changed.

    I’ve never had this salad before but it sure looks healthy with the bright pink colour πŸ™‚

  6. Making this now!

  7. Kanerva on September 7, 2013 at 8:48 am said:

    Funny, you call it summer salad, it’s a WINTER christmas dish in Helsinki. ^_^

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