Beets add a vibrant dash of color and a nutrition boost to any dish. In this blog post, you will find a list of my favorite healthy beet recipes as well as some ideas on how to make beets even more delicious.
What are Beets?
Beets, also known as beetroots or red beets, are round root vegetable known for its dark burgundy color and the sweet and earthy flavor. Beets are very versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Beet greens are also edible.
5 Reasons to Put Beets on Your Menu
Beets are not only delicious, but they can also be an important part of a healthy diet. Here are a few reasons to eat beets:
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- Beets are nutritious. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- Beets are versatile. You can use them in soups, salads, side dishes, appetizers, and even desserts.
- Beets are inexpensive. Including beets in your diet is a great way to eat healthily and keep your grocery bill down.
- Beets are easy to cook. You don’t need to follow long recipes or know complicated cooking techniques, and you can even eat them raw.
- Beets are easy to store. Beets keep very well in the fridge or in a cool dark place, so they will be there waiting for you when you decide to cook them.
Is it Better to Eat Beets Raw or Cooked?
Like almost all fruits and vegetables, raw beets contain more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to cooked beets. So, it’s a good idea to include them in your diet whenever possible.
But cooked beets are also very nutritious. They are also more versatile and can be included in a variety of dishes.
How Do You Prepare and Eat Beets?
Beets are very versatile. Here are a few different ways you can prepare them:
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- Raw beets are delicious. They are sweet and juicy and are a great addition to homemade juices. Raw beets can also be added to salads.
- Cook whole beets. The most popular way to prepare beets is to cook whole beets first and then use them to make salads, soups, and appetizers.
- Make a beet soup. Beets are also often used together with other ingredients to make a beet soup.
- Saute shredded or spiralized beets. Beets take a long time to cook. So shredding or spiralizing them first cuts down significantly on the cooking time.
- Don’t forget about the beet greens. Beet greens are edible too. They can be added to juices, sauteed, or used as a filling for filo pastry. Small baby beet greens can be added to salads.
What Pairs Well with Beets?
Beets are very flavourful on their own. If you have some cooked whole beets on hand, all you need to do is to drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt. Beets also pair very well with garlic.
But if you want to kick it up a notch, here are a few foods that work very well with beets:
- Spices such as cumin, allspice, cloves, coriander, and rosemary.
- Herbs such as fresh basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, and mint.
- Nuts and seeds such as walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.
- Fresh and dried fruits such as apples, pairs, oranges, grapefruit, pomegranate, prunes, raisins, lemon, and lime.
- Vegetables such as carrots, onion, garlic, radishes, celery, turnip, cabbage, cucumber, and avocado.
- Greens such as arugula, endive, spinach, kale, and mixed greens.
- Dairy such as feta cheese, goat’s cheese, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella, yogurt, kefir, sour cream, and cream Fraiche.
- Oil and vinegar such as olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar.
Healthy Beet Recipes You Should Try
Below you'll find a list of easy healthy beet recipes. The list includes salads, side dishes, and soups, as well as a guide to cooking whole beets. Here you will find different methods of preparing beets and including them in your diet.
This Raw Beet Salad is juicy, crunchy, and refreshing. The salad is made with shredded or spiralized fresh beets and a very simple dressing. It's perfect as a side salad or cold side dish.
Learn how to cook whole beets for salads, side dishes, soups, and appetizers. This comprehensive guide includes different methods of cooking beets as well as a lot of tips and tricks.
This Russian Beet Salad with Walnuts and Prunes is delicious and filling. The recipe is very easy to make using just five simple ingredients. This salad is perfect for a meal-prep as it tastes even better the next day.
This Kale and Beet salad is made with delicious superfoods such as beets, kale, walnuts, garlic, and olive oil. It's light, detoxing, and filling at the same time. Make a big batch and take to work for a healthy lunch or eat for dinner.
This Healthy Beet Quinoa Salad is made with creamy goat cheese, crunchy walnuts, and juicy grapefruit. It can be served on its own or as a side dish. This salad is very filling, satisfying, and easy to make.
These Mediterranean Beets are made with garlic, olive oil, sea salt, and cilantro. They can be served hot or cold and taste great as a side dish or salad. Make the Mediterranian beets once, and you will want to make them again and again.
If you have beets with beet greens still attached, you can quickly sautee them to make a delicious side dish. These Sauteed Beet Greens are ready in under 10 minutes and are very easy to make.
Beets take a long time to cook, but you can prepare them faster if your shred or spiralize them first. Sauteed beetroots make a perfect healthy side dish. You can make it in advance, so it's perfect for a meal-prep.
This Beetroot Soup with Beans is nourishing, comforting, and satisfying. It's filling enough to eat as a meal. Make a big batch on the weekend and then eat all week long. Perfect for lunch.