Chocolates and flowers are great and all, but make this Pickled Pink Salad for Valentine’s Day dinner, and I promise it will steal the show!!

If you’ve known me for a while, you're probably familiar with my love for briny foods—especially all things pickled! I’ve been dreaming of a salad full of delicious pickled veggies for a while now, and with Valentine’s Day coming up, I was inspired to make the salad as pretty and pink as possible. 

So, I gathered up a bunch of beautiful pink veggies—like beets, red cabbage, and watermelon radishes—to quick-pickle and roast. 

To complement the pickled veggies, I used Labneh, a delicious thick and tangy yogurt that’s a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. If you’re a fan of Greek tzaziki, you should absolutely give Labneh a try! It’s tangy and irresistibly creamy, and I LOVE how it works to bring the roasted and pickled veggies together in this recipe. 

One of the best things about this recipe is that almost all of the ingredients can be prepped in advance—you can pickle, roast, and prep your veggies the day before, so that all you have to do is plate and eat on the day of.

Enjoy, and Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Pickled Pink Salad

Makes 4-6 salads

INGREDIENTS 

For the pickled cabbage:

• 1 small head of red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 3-4 cups)

• 1 cup of rice vinegar or white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled (optional)

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns (optional)

For the pickled onion:

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup of rice vinegar or white vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled (optional)

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns (optional)

For the pickled radishes:

• 1 bunch of Easter Egg / multicolor radishes, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup of rice vinegar or white vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled (optional)

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns (optional)

For the roasted beets:

• 1 bunch of golden beets (3-4), greens removed

• 1 bunch of red beets (3-4), greens removed

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

For the roasted carrots:

• 1 bunch petite rainbow carrots, sliced in half

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Other ingredients:

• 2 cups labneh, either store-bought or homemade (if you’re making it at home I highly recommend Edouard Massih’s traditional Labneh recipe from Food52 )

• 3-5 watermelon radishes, thinly sliced

• Pistachios, chopped

• Mint or dill for garnish

• Toasted pita bread for serving

TO MAKE:

1. Prepare the quick-pickled veggies. Use a food processor or mandolin slicer to thinly slice the cabbage, onions, and radishes, then place them in separate colanders in the sink. Bring a large pot or kettle of water to a boil, then slowly pour the boiling water over the vegetables. Add the vinegar, salt, sugar, and any optional spices to separate jars, then add the cabbage, onion, and radishes to the jars. Seal and shake each jar, then leave them on the counter to pickle for at least an hour or overnight.

2. Meanwhile, make the roasted beets. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drizzle the whole beets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then wrap each beet in foil and place on a baking tray. Roast the beets for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cool, unwrap each beet and rub with a paper towel to remove the skins —they should slide right off! Slice the beets into large pieces.

3. Prep the roasted carrots. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Drizzle the halved carrots with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.

4. To assemble the salads, spoon a generous scoop of labneh onto each plate. Arrange the pickled and roasted vegetables on the plate. Garnish with the watermelon radishes, chopped pistachios, and fresh herbs. Serve with toasted pita bread. Enjoy!