Just Beet It! 18 of Our Favorite Root Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the tastiest way to eat beets? ›

Beets are delicious roasted, grilled, microwaved, steamed, boiled or air-fried. The key is to experiment with various cooking techniques to find one that gives you the desired flavor.

Forget what you thought you knew about food prep: You don't HAVE to peel your vegetables (well, most of them, anyway).

Wash the beets gently, making sure that you don't tear the skins, then place in a pan of warm water, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender – around 20–30 minutes. Alternatively, you can steam whole beetroot or bake them in the oven for 2–3 hours at 150°C/gas mark 2.

You can even enjoy them raw, either sliced thinly or grated. Choose beets that feel heavy for their size with fresh, unwilted green leafy tops still attached, if possible. Because dietary nitrates are water-soluble, it's best to avoid boiling beets if you'd like to maximize their nitrate content.

Pair them with bright, fresh flavors- By adding vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs, tangy cheese or yogurt to your dish, you will help balance the flavor. This is why you commonly see roasted beets and goat cheese together.

Sweet and tangy pomegranate juice coats small roasted beets, giving them punchy flavor. A little extra salt on top seals the deal.

My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. Another advantage is that they don't bleed as much, especially if they're roasted whole. Incidentally, to get beet stains off your hands, wet them, rub them with coarse salt, then wash with soap.

Directions. Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and the lemon juice or vinegar. This will help to keep the beets from bleeding. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Oven-Steaming

Steaming in the oven rather than baking helps preserve more of the healthy vitamins and minerals in beets. This method also helps beets better retain their beautiful, vibrant color.

Beetroot and its juice help your heart and lungs work better during exercise. Nitric oxide from beets increases blood flow to your muscles. Some athletes eat beetroot or drink beet juice when exercising to improve their performance. Beets are rich in folate (vitamin B9), which helps cells grow and function.

Do beets lower blood pressure? ›

Beets and beet juice are high in nitrates, substances that turn into nitric oxide inside your body. Your body naturally produces nitric oxide, which is crucial for blood vessel health. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens your arteries, allowing more blood to flow through and significantly lowering blood pressure.

Fill with water to cover the beets completely and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until fork tender, which will vary by size. Allow to cool and then remove the skin under running water.

My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. Another advantage is that they don't bleed as much, especially if they're roasted whole. Incidentally, to get beet stains off your hands, wet them, rub them with coarse salt, then wash with soap.

Both eating beets and drinking beet juice will give you anti-inflammatory betalains and other phytonutrients. If you're looking to enhance athletic performance, drink up. Juicing beets delivers a concentrated dose of nitrates, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. However, you lose the fiber when you juice the beets.

Cure your vegetables as you would a piece of meat for a couple of days. This can be achieved by rubbing the vegetable or mushroom with salt at a concentration of 1.75% of the vegetable's weight, wrapping it tightly in plastic or vacuum sealing it, and letting it sit in the fridge for 2-3 days.

One of the best ways to mask the dirt taste of beets is to pair it with a sweeter flavor. Try adding some honey, maple syrup, or agave to the beets when cooking them. You can also pair the cooked beets with other savory ingredients like bacon, onion, or garlic to balance out the sweetness.