Beets? What can I do with them other than roast them?

a Whole Foods Market Customer
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23 Comments

FTTBabyMama February 28, 2014
Mark Bittman did a great article on preparations of beets that go beyond the roasted/covered in goat cheese standard. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/10/27/magazine/27-bittman-beets.html?_r=0
 
sfmiller February 27, 2014
I like this rosti of grated beets, which really emphasizes their sweetness.

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/17/dining/the-minimalist-beet-pancakes-hold-the-syrup.html

For a quicker and more casual dish, try sauteeing grated beets in butter until just tender, with minced onion, shallot, or other allium if you like. Add a spritz of lemon juice or vinegar at the end to brighten it.
 
Mary L. February 25, 2014
I've made a beet cake that turned out pretty tasty. You can also juice them. My juicer came with a recipe that included beets and apples; it was so good and that gorgeous pink color! By the same token, you might make a soup out of them. Perhaps, a gazpacho. I would imagine they would be a nice addition to a morning smoothie as well (cooked first of course).
 
Author Comment
I made beet pancakes, based on a Good to the Grain recipe (great book!). I had a bunch of beets on hand, cooked them, pureed them, used what I needed for the pancakes, then froze the rest of the puree for use a few months down the road. Here's an idea of how to incorporate beets into pancakes: http://acozykitchen.com/quinoa-and-beet-pancakes/
 
ellenl August 5, 2011
I had alot of beets from 3 wks. of my CSA. I googled soup with beet greens and also looked for a soup on foodblog search---combined 3 recipes---it's good. Saute onion, carrot, celery, garlic. Add to pot chopped beets, small potatoes, water, beef stock/bouillion, pepper, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, no-salt canned tomatoes (I used Pomi). Bring to boil and simmer about 35 mins. Add cleaned and chopped beet greens. Simmer few mins. Add juice from 1 lemon and some brown sugar. I chopped fennel stems and fronds because they had been hanging around for a few weeks.
 
lovesitc August 5, 2011
Thought I would add a link to my go-to recipe, just in case . . . http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/vegetable/recipe-tahini-beets-140777
 
lovesitc August 5, 2011
I know you mentioned ideas besides roasting . . . But I had to chime in that my fave all-time beet recipe is roasted and then dressed in a tahini sauce. To die for delicious!!! I've made it many, many times!
 
MBobinski August 5, 2011
They are really nice eaten raw, so long as they're sliced thin enough. You might try sliced beets, marinated in wine vinegar, with a dollop of creme fraiche and some pistachios on top. Maybe some crispy fried shallot rings too?
 
kirby August 3, 2011
grill them: boil, peel, slice, grill, sprinkle on a little goat cheese and drizzle with a simple vinaigrette
 
MBobinski August 3, 2011
They are really nice eaten raw, so long as they're sliced thin enough. You might try sliced beets, marinated in wine vinegar, with a dollop of creme fraiche and some pistachios on top. Maybe some crispy fried shallot rings too?
 
rachaelmr August 3, 2011
It depends on how hot it is outside, but if i don't roast them, then i boil them - then skin them. My favorite way to eat any beet (but the red ones work best with this) is on a mixed green salad (with some bitter or mustardy greens thrown in), with blue cheese and candied pecans or hazelnuts, tossed with a little olive oil/ vinegar. Or roasted - skinned, tossed with olive oil and horseradish on a bed of their own greens (cooked with a little sauted olive oil & garlic, or simmered in chicken broth)...but if i can get my hands on them (which right now tis the season), golden beets are by far my favorite - roasted with a little honey...
 
pauljoseph August 3, 2011
http://www.food52.com/recipes/9890_carrot_beet_pickle
Lot of recipes We also make wine with beets
http://www.food52.com/recipes/9778_carrot_beet_halwa
http://www.food52.com/recipes/3329_beets_ularthu_beet_root_stir_fried_in_onion_garlic_seasoning
http://www.food52.com/recipes/3301_beetroot_croquettes
http://www.food52.com/recipes/3291_pachadi_sauteed_beetroot_in_warm_and_spicy_yogurt_gravy
 

Voted the Best Reply!

shillsstillhungry August 2, 2011
I was able to experience an amazing Indian Beet Recipe while attending cooking school in Singapore a few summers ago. The recipe is simple and can be enjoyed alone with salad greens, as an appetizer with warm naan, or as an accompaniment to tandoori, or butter chicken:

1.) Dice 2 large, peeled Beets into small cubes and simmer in water to cover until tender. Drain and set in the fridge to cool a bit.

2.) In a sauce pan combine 1 tsp ghee with 1 diced shallot or 1/2 small onion, plus one minced garlic clove. Saute until shallots are soft and glistening. Season with salt (to taste) and 2 tsp cane sugar. Turn off heat.

3.) Add 1/2 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt with 1 tsp whole toasted cumin seed, 1 tsp white mustard seed, 2 TB black mustard seed. (Be sure to turn off heat or yogurt may curdle) Stir and chill.

4.) After cooling for about and hour or two combine beets and mustard seed yogurt mixture. Top with whole fresh curry leaves. Enjoy!
 
eliza_z August 2, 2011
I had the same problem when we got tons of beets for a few weeks in a row from our CSA. I usually use them in salads (beets pair beautifully with goat cheese and bleu cheese) or roasted with some fennel. But one of my favorite new recipes is for a beet risotto with beet greens: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/health/nutrition/07recipehealth.html. Don't have to use beet greens, but if you have them they're delicious. A beautifully colored and tasty dish.
 
nogaga August 2, 2011
Soconding Merrill, I made these a few nights ago and LOVED them: http://www.food52.com/recipes/3302_french_peasant_beets
 
ChefJune August 2, 2011
When the beets are young, I like to scrub them and slice thin and saute them with a little garlic in some olive oil. When they're just about done, add the chiffonaded tops to the pan along with a splash of balsamic vinegar. You can serve them hot, OR you can serve them at room temp topped with some crumbled feta.
 
thibse August 2, 2011
Grate them and add them to a salad; add one to a jar of pickled eggs for color and a little flavor; dice them like potatoes, boil them, and toss them with orange juice, a little vinegar and some ginger; make borscht.
 
Sam1148 August 2, 2011
Beets are veggi I should be using more, but do not.

It's the color and handling that's a pain. They can dye you fingernails, cutting boards and make you spend time washing up. Wear gloves.

I do like them but they're in the 'let someone else make them' catagory for me at this point.
 
mainecook61 August 1, 2011
There's an old-fashioned simple recipe from the Joy of Cooking that's delicious: cut the beets into small dice; simmer them (use a large saucepan) until tender in milk, about half a cup or a bit more for a couple of beets. Add more milk if it cooks down too fast. When the beets are almost done, add the greens cut into ribbons. Let them cook down on top of the beets. Salt, pepper, butter at the end.
 
SKK August 1, 2011
Pickle them - pickled beets are amazing! MonkeyMom has the most amazing recipe http://www.food52.com/recipes/3310_beet_crostata_with_a_pepperparmesan_crust
Make beet fries http://marcussamuelsson.com/recipes/steak-with-yam-kohlrabi-and-beet-frites-recipe#more-14411
 
Merrill S. August 1, 2011
This is a delicious (and different) recipe: http://www.food52.com/recipes/3302_french_peasant_beets. And this is also a great dish: http://www.food52.com/recipes/7032_warm_orzo_salad_with_beets_greens
 
boulangere August 1, 2011
Sorry, can't help myself here. I'm so the wrong person to see this question. My first knee-jerk response is: compost them!
 
alygator August 1, 2011
You could slice them ultra thin with a mandolin and make chips with them!
 
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