Recipe for: Winter Salad "Highlander’s Chest" with Buckwheat, Roasted Beets, Sauerkraut, and Cottage Cheese - photo 1
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Recipe for: Winter Salad "Highlander’s Chest" with Buckwheat, Roasted Beets, Sauerkraut, and Cottage Cheese

Salads Regional Cuisine of Poland Vegetarian Dishes 90 min Medium 11 wyświetleń ~30.01 PLN - (0)
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Description

An arrangement of winter, Polish flavors in the form of a hearty salad: roasted buckwheat combines with the aroma of roasted beets and forest mushrooms, while sour sauerkraut and fresh apple add juicy acidity. Semi-fat cottage cheese brings a creamy texture, and a buttermilk dressing with honey and caraway ties it all together. This dish is a tribute to the cooler season — perfect as a standalone lunch, a side dish for dinner, or a snack for a home gathering. The visually contrasting colors: beet burgundy, buckwheat gold, and cottage cheese white create an attractive mosaic on the plate. Flavor-wise, it’s a combination of sweet, sour, and salty with nutty notes and a mushroom depth.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (16)

Servings:
4
  • Roasted buckwheat groats 200 g
  • Sauerkraut 250 g
  • Semi-fat cottage cheese 200 g
  • Buttermilk 200 g
  • Red onion 150 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Apple cider vinegar 15 ml
  • Wildflower honey 15 g
  • Ground cumin 2 g
  • Beets (raw) 600 g
  • Wild mushrooms (fresh) 300 g
  • Apple 0.8 szt. (~150 g)
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt (~3 g)
  • Black pepper 2 szczypty (~1 g)
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Dried plums 7.5 szt. (~60 g)
  • Roasted sunflower seeds 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~30.01 PLN (7.50 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Buckwheat

1

Rinse the roasted buckwheat groats under running water in a fine sieve for 20-30 seconds, shaking the sieve until the water runs clear. Transfer to a medium pot, cover with cold water in a 1:2 ratio (200 g of groats to 400 ml of water). Add a pinch of salt (about 1 g). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook covered for 12-15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. After cooking, let it sit covered for 5-10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. The groats are ready when they are fluffy, with a noticeable nutty aroma and no hard grains.

Ingredients: Roasted buckwheat groats, Salt
Use a heavy-bottomed pot with a diameter of about 18 cm. Do not lift the lid while cooking — steam is essential to the process. If it becomes dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water. You can cook the groats in broth for a deeper flavor.

Beets

2

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Clean the beets, trim the ends, wrap each root loosely in aluminum foil or place them in a covered baking dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes depending on their size (check with a fork: it should go in smoothly). Once baked, let them cool slightly, peel off the skin (it should come off easily when rubbed with a towel), and cut into cubes about 1-1.5 cm.

Ingredients: Beets (raw), Rapeseed oil
Use kitchen gloves to unwrap the hot beets. If you want to speed things up, peel and cut the beets into quarters, sprinkle with oil, and roast for 35-40 minutes — they will have more caramelized edges. Be careful not to roast at too low a temperature, as they will become watery.

Mushrooms

3

If the mushrooms are fresh, clean them with a brush and cut off the tough ends. Slice the larger ones. Heat a pan (preferably 26-28 cm) with 1 tablespoon (15 g) of rapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan — sauté for 5-7 minutes until the excess water evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly golden. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper at the end of cooking. The mushrooms are ready when they soften, release their aroma, and have golden-brown edges.

Ingredients: Wild mushrooms (fresh), Rapeseed oil, Salt, Black pepper
Use a wide non-stick skillet. Do not salt the mushrooms at the beginning (salt draws out moisture), season at the end of cooking. If you are using frozen mushrooms, thaw and drain excess liquid.

Onion

4

Thinly slice the red onion into feathers. In a bowl, mix 50 ml (about 50 g) of apple cider vinegar and 25 ml (25 g) of water, add 1 g of salt and 5 g of honey. Toss the onion into the marinade, mix, and set aside for at least 15 minutes — the onion should change color and lose its sharpness, becoming slightly pink and flexible.

Ingredients: Red onion, Apple cider vinegar, wildflower honey, Salt
Use a small glass bowl. Thinly slicing the onion makes for a quick marinade. If you don't like honey, substitute it with agave syrup (a vegan alternative).

Dressing

5

In a bowl, combine buttermilk (200 g) with 15 g of apple cider vinegar, 15 g of honey, and 2 teaspoons (4 g) of ground cumin. Add 15 g of rapeseed oil and a pinch of pepper. Whisk vigorously with a whisk or fork until the dressing becomes smooth and slightly creamy. Taste and season with salt (about 1-2 g) to your liking — the dressing should have a sweet-sour balance with a distinct hint of cumin.

Ingredients: Buttermilk, Apple cider vinegar, wildflower honey, Rapeseed oil, Ground cumin, Black pepper, Salt
Use a small bowl and a whisk or fork. If you want a smoother consistency, blend with an immersion blender for 10-15 seconds. Don't add too much salt — the cabbage and cheese are already salty.

Additional preparations

6

If you are using dried plums (optional), cut them into strips or cubes and soak them in hot water for 5 minutes, then drain — they will become soft and aromatic. Toasted sunflower seeds (optional) should be toasted in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes, stirring until they start to smell intense and turn golden. Set aside to cool.

Ingredients: Dried plums, Roasted sunflower seeds
Use a small pan to toast the seeds. Be careful not to burn the sunflower seeds — lower the heat when they start to brown.

Salad Assembly

7

In a large, flat bowl, transfer the fluffed buckwheat (200 g cooked). Add the sauerkraut (250 g) shredded with a fork, diced roasted beets (600 g), sautéed mushrooms (300 g), and drained pickled onions. Cut the apple into thin wedges or cubes and add it directly to prevent browning. Gently mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon, ensuring to maintain a chunky texture — do not mash the entire mixture.

Ingredients: Roasted buckwheat groats, Sauerkraut, Beets (raw), Wild mushrooms (fresh), Red onion, Apple
Use a large bowl with a diameter of at least 28 cm. Stir slowly from the outside to the center so that the pieces of beet and apple do not break apart. Check the taste — the cabbage may need more salt.

Finishing and serving

8

Drizzle the prepared dressing evenly over the salad (about 120-150 g of dressing). Gently mix again, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Finally, crumble the cottage cheese (200 g) evenly on top using your fingers or a fork. Additionally, sprinkle with chopped plums (if using) and toasted sunflower seeds for a contrasting texture. Serve immediately or after 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Ingredients: Buttermilk, wildflower honey, Semi-fat cottage cheese, Dried plums, Roasted sunflower seeds
Use serving trays or large deep plates. Add the cottage cheese just before serving to maintain its creaminess. Additionally, you can drizzle a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top for flavor.

Serving

9

Serve the salad warm or at room temperature. You can serve it with dark whole grain bread or as a side dish to roasted duck/pork shoulder. Arrange the portions on plates, paying attention to the color scheme: beets in the center, cheese and seeds on top.

Ingredients: Semi-fat cottage cheese, Roasted sunflower seeds
If you are preparing the salad in advance, keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving to maintain the crunchiness of the apple and sunflower seeds.

Fun Fact

💡

Buckwheat has been a staple ingredient in the cuisine of mountainous regions in Poland for centuries — it was once eaten both as a side dish and as the main element of meals. The combination of buckwheat with sauerkraut is classic, here reinterpreted with beetroot and cottage cheese.

Best for

rodzinny obiad zimowy przyjęcie w chłodne dni lunch do pracy

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the salad slightly warm or at room temperature; the dressing can be prepared in advance. For guests, arrange the toppings (cottage cheese, sunflower seeds, plums) separately so everyone can assemble their own portion.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing separate for up to 3 days. After adding the dressing and cottage cheese, the salad loses some of its crunch — if needed, before serving, add toasted seeds and freshly chopped apple.

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