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Top down view of Polish horseradish beets in open jar with spoon.
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Polish Horseradish Beets (Ćwikła z Chrzanem)

Polish horseradish beets are made with cooked pureed beets and freshly grated horseradish. This spicy condiment is delicious, simple to make, extremely versatile and traditionally served in Poland for Easter.
Course Condiment
Cuisine East European, gluten free, Polish, vegan
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 12 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 31kcal
Author Monika Dabrowski

Equipment

  • Box grater
  • Rubber gloves

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beets whole, unpeeled
  • 4-5 tablespoons horseradish peeled, finely grated, see Instructions
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ⅓ teaspoon fine sea salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Start by roasting the beets. Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5.
    Wrap each beet (unpeeled) loosely in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast in the centre of the oven for 40-60 minutes until fork tender (the exact roasting time will depend on the size of your beets).
    Remove from the oven, unwrap and set aside to cool completely (you can cool the beetroot overnight and use the following day).
  • Peel the beets, once cooled (the peel should come off very easily but be sure to wear rubber gloves) then finely grate them.
  • Peel and rinse the horseradish, if necessary, to remove dirt. Dry thoroughly and finely grate.
  • Combine with the beetroot, add the lemon juice, sugar and salt. Stir thoroughly, taste your horseradish beets and adjust the ingredients if needed.
  • Place in a jar/airtight container and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Notes

  • Roast then cool the beets completely before making the recipe (you can do this step the night before).
  • Prepare the horseradish when you are ready to put the recipe together (grated horseradish quickly loses its pungency).
  • 4 tablespoons of grated horseradish produce a moderately spicy ćwikła.
  • Adjust the recommended amounts to your taste.
  • Refrigerate your roasted beets and horseradish in a jar/airtight container overnight before serving. However, as the flavour will continue to develop, this condiment will taste even better after 2-3 days (the horseradish flavour will intensify).
  • Serve chilled with ham, chicken, turkey (hot or cold), sandwiches, hard boiled or deviled eggs, Polish kielbasa, salmon and tuna.
  • Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
  • Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg