Beets are one of my favorite vegetables and can be enjoyed hot as a side dish or chilled in a salad. They’re easy to cook and jam-packed with flavor!
Beets are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and compounds, and flesh can be used as an organic dye as well! You can find red beets, purple beets, even striped beets!
Once cooked the can be enjoyed hot or chilled and are a great addition to tossed salads or even added into hummus for a pretty pink dip!
Dry cleaned beets with a towel to remove excess moisture. Trim the remaining stems and remove the taproot. Cut the beets into wedges or quarters. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
How to Cook Beets
Prepare beets (as above) and cook using one of the methods below.
- Clean, dry and cut beets.
- Toss them with olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Roast in foil for about 55-60 minutes.
Serve warm, cold, or use in a simple salad topped with goat cheese!
- Clean, dry, and cut beets.
- Add a little lemon juice to some water and cover the beets. The lemon juice will keep the beets from bleeding and look extra bright after they are cooked!
- Bring to a boil. Then simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
Cool beets by placing them under cold running water until they can be handled. Toss in a salad, serve warm, or mashed!
Just like cooking potatoes in the microwave, beets need very little preparation. Choose beets that are uniform in size so they cook evenly!
- Rinse and prick each beet all over with a fork.
- Using a Pyrex glass dish, place beets in and add about 1/3 cup of water.
- Using a damp paper towel or plastic wrap, cover the dish and microwave on high about 5 minutes or until you can smell them starting to cook.
Beets will continue to cook once they’re removed from the microwave, so be sure not to overcook them! Rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Small, cooked beets can be frozen whole, but larger, cooked beets that have been cut or sliced will thaw out grainy and soggy. The best thing to do with thawed cooked beets is to put them in a smoothie, a muffin mix or blend into a healthy vinaigrette dressing!
How to Prep Beets
- Beets are a root vegetable and grow underground so you’ll want to give them a good scrub before cooking.
- Cut off the stems and leaves at the top (you can cook beet greens as well).
- While some people peel beets, they’re kind of messy and to be honest, it’s not necessary to do before cooking. Once cooked the skins just slide right off.
- If the beets are large, cut them in halves or quarters so they cook faster.
Beet skins and their juice will stain fabric, so be sure to use paper towels or a kitchen towel that you don’t mind getting dirty! If you’ll be handling the beets, wear gloves if you have them.
How to prepare, cook and cut Beetroot – French cooking techniques
FAQ
Can I cut up beets ahead of time?
Can you cut raw beets?
How long do beets last after cutting?
Can you peel and cut beets before boiling?
Should you cut beets before cooking?
Depending on how you would like them prepared, cutting beets before cooking them is helpful. For example, if you’re air frying beets or roasting them, it’s best to peel and dice them beforehand. If you’re boiling or steaming them, it’s best to cook them before cutting. What is the healthiest way to cook beets?
Who should not consume beets?
Eating beets is normally safe. Although, in patients suffering from low blood pressure, they can lower the blood pressure even more. Also, people suffering from kidney stones problems, should not include beetroot in their diet, as they contain high amounts of oxalate. Diabetic patients should also limit beets, as they have a high glycemic index, which increases blood sugar levels in the body.
Do you peel beets before cooking?
Beets are a root vegetable and grow underground so you’ll want to give them a good scrub before cooking. Cut off the stems and leaves at the top (you can cook beet greens as well). While some people peel beets, they’re kind of messy and to be honest, it’s not necessary to do before cooking. Once cooked the skins just slide right off.
Should beets be cooked whole or unpeeled?
Whether you’re cooking beets for an appetizer, salad, smoothie, or side dish, leaving them whole and unpeeled and proceeding with one of the following convenient cooking methods results in soft, juicy beets bursting with flavor: Boiling produces juicy, plump beets.