Recipe by Cyndi Ross
August 1997
from issue #10
As a cook, I am inspired by colors, so I find beets particularly exciting to work with. 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.
To roast beets, I scrub them under cold water, rub them with vegetable oil, and sprinkle them with a little kosher salt. I roast them on a baking sheet at 350˚F. Small to medium beets take 30 to 60 minutes. You may want to cut large beets in half to shorten the baking time. When the beets can be pierced easily with a fork, they’re done. Once the beets are cool, the skins slip off easily.
I have no trouble finding ways to use leftover, cooked beets. In my beet vinaigrette, puréed cooked beets take the place of some of the oil, so this dressing has more nutrients and less fat than traditional vinaigrettes. The vibrant color really dresses up garden salads, pasta salads, and fish. One of my favorite salads is a mixture of greens topped with cubes of roasted beets, slices of tart green apple, and pats of goat cheese, all drizzled with sweet-tangy beet vinaigrette.
Beet greens and cubes of roasted beets, sautéed with olive oil and garlic, form the base of a quick and tasty sauce for pasta. Sometimes I go all out and make beet pasta, using 3 cups of flour, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. of salt, and 1⁄2 cup beet purée or grated raw beet, plus just enough water to make a pliable dough. This makes 11⁄2 lb. of hot pink pasta. Talk about color!
FAQs
To roast beets, I scrub them under cold water, rub them with vegetable oil, and sprinkle them with a little kosher salt. I roast them on a baking sheet at 350˚F. Small to medium beets take 30 to 60 minutes. You may want to cut large beets in half to shorten the baking time.
Does roasting beets destroy nutrients? ›
Like many vegetables, the longer you cook beets—especially in water—the more the colorful phytonutrients leach out of the food and into the water. Retain the good-for-you nutrients in beets by roasting them or sautéing them instead. Or lightly steam them for just a few minutes, suggests Doyle.
How do you take the bitterness out of beets? ›
Beetroots can taste bitter due to compounds like geosmin and saponins. To reduce bitterness when eating them as a vegetable, choose young beetroots, peel and cook them, combine with other flavors, blanch them, or remove the skin before cooking. 2nd method you can boil beetroot to reduce bitterness before cooking.
What is the best cooking method for beets? ›
Steaming beets is a healthful cooking method because they retain most of their vitamins and minerals—they're not boiled out in water—and stay incredibly vibrant. Plus, steaming small beets or beet quarters is quick and easy for weeknights.
Why not peel beets before roasting? ›
No need to peel before or after baking. The skin, which is perfectly edible, just seems to disappear during the baking process. The trick to pan-roasted beets is to drop the temperature a bit. I always roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and pretty much all the other veggies at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Do roasted beets have a lot of sugar? ›
It's true that beets do have more sugars than many other vegetables—about 8 grams in a serving of two small beets. But that's hardly the same as getting 8 grams of sugars from a cookie. "Beets are high in fiber, which traps the sugar and slows its absorption into the bloodstream," Linsenmeyer says.
Do roasted beets raise blood sugar? ›
Beets make a great addition to a diabetes diet not only because they are low in calories, but also since one cooked cup contains only 13g carbohydrate. Rich in fibre they can also help prevent surges in blood sugar levels.
How do beets get their sweetness? ›
FAU researchers find mechanism that makes root sweet
This makes sugar beet an important economic factor for rural areas. Stimulated by energy from sunlight, sugar beet's green leaves convert carbon dioxide in the air and water from the soil into sucrose. The plant stores this sugar as an energy reserve in its root.
Why are my beets not sweet? ›
After some research it was decided that the problem was the soil. That is, too much chemical fertilizer and too little organic matter. So to grow beets that are sweeter, dispense with chemicals and introduce plenty of organic material into the soil at planting.
Does cooking beets make them sweeter? ›
Roasting beets gives them a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. As a cook, I am inspired by colors, so I find beets particularly exciting to work with. My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does.
Here are five of our favorite ways to eat beets.
- Raw! – Yes, beets are quite good raw. ...
- Roasted with goat cheese. – The classic, all-time favorite preparation. ...
- In a salad. – Beets make a good complement to other salad staples. ...
- Pickled! – Pickled beets are just marvelous. ...
- As dessert.
The roasted beets are wonderful on their own, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, or dressed up more with citrus juice, herbs, or balsamic vinegar. Serve them with any weeknight dinner, or add them to a holiday meal. These oven roasted beets keep well for days in the fridge, so they're great for making ahead.
Why do you put vinegar in beets? ›
Beets are naturally sweet and earthy, making them a versatile vegetable to incorporate into your meals. By adding vinegar to the boiling process, you can elevate the flavors of beets and give them a delightful tangy kick.
How do you roast beets without making a mess? ›
Time to get wrapping! Place each trimmed beet on a piece of foil that's big enough to wrap the beet up. Then, rub the beet lightly with a little olive or avocado oil; you don't need much, just a small coating. This will help the skins to slip off, ultimately, after roasting.
Do roasted beets have to be refrigerated? ›
After cooking, peeling, and letting the beets fully cool, store them in a covered container and place in the refrigerator. They will keep 4-5 days.
How do you keep roasted beets from bleeding? ›
If you have some on hand, add a little lemon juice (1-2 tsps) to the pot. The lemon juice will keep the beets from bleeding so they will look extra bright after they are cooked!
How to eat beets without losing nutrients? ›
How to Prepare Beets
- Store Them Properly. After bringing beets home from the grocery, try to store them immediately unless you're cooking them right away. ...
- Roast Them. Roasting is an overall healthy cooking method with minimal vitamin loss, particularly vitamin C. ...
- Stir-Fry Them. ...
- Use Stainless Steel Cookware.
Takeaways. Packed with nutrition, beets have antioxidants like betalains that fight cell damage and inflammation, potentially offering protection against cancer and heart disease. Health benefits of beets include more stamina during exercise, heart disease and stroke prevention, and lower blood pressure.
Are beets better boiled or roasted? ›
Roasting beets gives them a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does.
Does roasting destroy vitamins? ›
Most vitamin losses are minimal with this cooking method, including vitamin C. However, due to long cooking times at high temperatures, the B vitamins in roasted meat may decline by as much as 40% (6). Roasting or baking does not have a significant effect on most vitamins and minerals, except for B vitamins.
