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!
A Healthy Favorite
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!
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.
How to Cook Beets
Prepare beets (as above) and cook using one of the methods below.
In the Oven:
Serve warm, cold, or use in a simple salad topped with goat cheese!
On the Stove:
Cool beets by placing them under cold running water until they can be handled. Toss in a salad, serve warm, or mashed!
In the Microwave:
Just like cooking potatoes in the microwave, beets need very little preparation. Choose beets that are uniform in size so they cook evenly! 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.
To Freeze
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!
More Veggie Tips
How to Steam Cauliflower How to Cook Asparagus (Steam, Grill, Bake) How to Steam Broccoli How to Prepare and Roast Kohlrabi How to Cook Spaghetti Squash In The Microwave How to Cook Acorn Squash
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