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Lover's Kiss salad

Lover's Kiss Salad

Bright, layered, and made from simple, affordable ingredients! Lover's Kiss salad works for the whole family, on weeknights and at a holiday table alike. It comes together quickly — you can prep everything else while the beets cook. Building it in layers is the way to go; it looks far more striking that way!

Maria

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beets

300

Carrots

300

Hard cheese

250

Raisins

Dried apricots

Prunes

Walnuts

Mayonnaise

100

Ground black pepper

Garlic

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 22 % 8 g

Fats 43 % 16 g

Carbohydrates 35 % 13 g

226 kcal

GI: 54 / 23 / 23

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make the bright, layered Lover's Kiss salad? It's easy enough. First, gather all the ingredients on the list. You can use beets that are boiled or oven-roasted. Stores also sell ready-cooked beets in vacuum packaging, which will save you cooking time.
Step 2:

Boil or roast the beets in their skins until tender, then cool and peel them. Grate on the fine side of a grater. If the beets are very juicy, squeeze out the excess liquid, or your salad will turn watery.
Step 3:

Peel the raw carrots and grate them finely. If they're very juicy, squeeze out the excess moisture too. You can also use boiled or roasted carrots instead of raw.
Step 4:

Grate the cheese finely. What kind of cheese works here? Any firm or semi-firm cheese — the main thing is that it's tasty and good-quality, with no milk-fat substitutes. I used a regular medium-hard cheese.
Step 5:

Rinse and dry the dried apricots and prunes, then cut them into small cubes. If the dried fruit is hard, steam it first. How? Rinse it well, cover with hot water, and let it sit for 10–15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 6:

Rinse and dry the raisins. If they're very dried out and hard, steam them the same way as the apricots and prunes.
Step 7:

Finely chop the walnuts.
Step 8:

Peel the garlic and mince it finely too. Use more garlic if you like.
Step 9:

In a bowl, combine the grated carrots, raisins, and 1–2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper if you like, and mix.
Step 10:

In another bowl, mix the grated cheese, dried apricots, garlic, and 1–2 tablespoons of mayonnaise.
Step 11:

In a third bowl, combine the grated beets, prunes, and a little mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper if you like, and mix well.
Step 12:

In a plating ring (5.5–6 inches / 14–16 cm across), start with a layer of the carrot-and-raisin mixture and smooth it out. Don't press too hard on the carrot layer, or it will release its juice.
Step 13:

Spread the cheese-and-apricot layer on top and press it down gently.
Step 14:

Then add the beet-and-prune layer.
Step 15:

Scatter the chopped walnuts over the top. You can chill the salad for 30 minutes if you like, but it's not necessary — everything is finely grated and already well coated in mayonnaise. In fact, don't keep it in the fridge too long, or the vegetables may release juice that you'll have to blot away.
Step 16:

Lift off the ring before serving. Garnish however you like — I used carrot slices, fresh herbs, and nuts. Enjoy!

Since everyone's preference for salt, sweetness, bitterness, heat, acidity, and pungency is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste! If you're using a particular seasoning for the first time, keep in mind that some are especially easy to overdo (chili pepper, for one).
It's even better to make the mayonnaise yourself — tastier and healthier. See here for some good homemade mayonnaise recipes. You can also use sour cream or plain yogurt in place of mayonnaise, either on their own or mixed with mayo in whatever ratio you like, to lighten up the dish.