Russian Vinegret Recipe- Root Vegetable Salad

One time, not so long ago, I was at a friend's house and was offered some absolutely delicious salad, a Russian one called vinegret. In American English, and in many other languages, vinaigrette is a type of salad dressing based on vinegar, but Russian vinegret is actually the name of the salad, not just its dressing. There are so many different versions of vinegret, and I posted one a few years back with mayonnaise, but that day at my friend's house, discovered one even tastier and easier, made without mayo.

Last night I made a get together at my house, a belated house-warming party (I was going to do one in December, but we ended up getting sick, and since then, so many things came up that it got pushed off until last night), to show people my new home, and in general, just to have fun with friends and family. (I don't know if house-warming party is the right term for this, since according to Wikipedia gifts are the norm at house-warming parties, but gifts were totally not the point of this party.) I wanted to keep costs down but still serve lots of yummy food to everyone. I made this vinegret and it was enjoyed by all. It was quite easy to make, not to mention frugal, using all seasonal produce that can be purchased cheaply at this time of year.

The layout of one of the tables at the party, vinegret in the back,. Also shown: sesame spaghetti, quinoa salad, veggie crudites, cabbage salad, lentil salad, tahini dip, beet and carrot salad with mint, and purchased gluten free crackers.

I have made vinegret a few times this way, and each time it tastes slightly different but just as delicious. I don't have an exact recipe, more a general guideline on how to make it, since the recipe is flexible and can be adjusted to taste.

Vinegret traditionally is a cold salad made with potatoes, beets, carrots, and cucumber pickles, but as I generally try to avoid white potatoes, I have made this with sweet potatoes and it is awesome. If I don't have cucumber pickles, I also just use plain cucumbers for this. You can add cooked (but not canned) peas to this as well- baby peas are my favorite, but as I can't usually get them very cheaply (and they aren't paleo) I tend to leave them out.
Apologies about the picture- when it is freshly made you can see the different colors in the dish more distinctly, but as it sits, the color of the beets start overtaking everything, and you get a dish with various shades of pink instead of the original magenta, orange, white, and green.

Russian Vinegret Recipe- Root Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:
Boiled or roasted beets (I used 2 large)
Boiled carrots (I used 4 large)
Boiled potatoes (I used 4 medium) or sweet potatoes
Cucumbers or cucumber pickles (I used 3 medium)
Green peas- up to half a cup (optional)
Raw onion- optional, but preferable (I used half)
Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to taste
Olive oil, sunflower oil, nut oil, or other liquid oil of choice)
Salt to taste
Garlic, fresh or granulated/powdered to taste (I used approximately a teaspoon of granulated garlic)
Dill, dry or fresh, the more the better (I used 2 tablespoons dried dill, but would use up to half a cup fresh dill)
Black pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions:
1. Boil or roast the beets unpeeled, then peel them and dice them small.

2. Boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water. These can be boiled in the same water, but not in the same water as the beets. Dice the potatoes and carrots, either before or after boiling. If using sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for this recipe, bake them instead of

3. Let your cooked root vegetables cool down.

4. Dice your cucumber or pickles and your raw onion, and mix with your diced root vegetables and peas if using.

5. Add dill, oil, lemon/vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Ever have vinegret before? If you've made it, what did you put in yours? 
Does this look like a recipe you'd enjoy? 
What is your favorite thing to make with beets?