36 Beet Recipes That Add A Ton Of Colour And Flavour To Your Plate
(Photo: Erik Putz)
Beets are in season well into November, making them a staple from summer through fall. Along with providing a beautiful hit of colour to whatever you're cooking, they lend a sweet, earthy flavour, which is perfect both now and when the weather starts to get (and stay) cold. Here are our best beet recipes.
How to buy and store beets
Choose small to medium-sized beets. The skins may be rough and should be dry. If beets still have their greens attached, trim and save separately (they can be sautéed or added to salads). Wrap beets loosely in paper towel and keep in the fridge for up to several weeks.
How to prepare and use beets
Can you eat raw beets?
Yes! Peel beets, then cut into sticks for crudités, thinly slice on a mandoline or grate into salads, slaws and baked goods.
How to roast beets
Wrap beets individually in foil, then roast on a baking sheet at 400F for 1 hour. Let cool enough to handle. As you unwrap each beet, use the foil to rub the beet and peel off the skin. Slice and drizzle with extra- virgin olive oil and chopped tarragon or chives for a simple side, or add to salads or sandwiches.
How to boil beets
Peel first, then boil until beets pierce easily with a knife (25 to 45 min). Toss with olive oil, orange zest and salt for a side dish, or add to salads or smoothies.
Roasted Beet Salad With Tahini Dressing
This insanely colourful roasted beet salad with tahini dressing is a breeze to make, but if you want to save time, you can always buy pre-roasted beets. Get this roasted beet salad with tahini dressing recipe.
Garlicky Beet Dip With Walnuts
This "romesco-esque dip" excerpted from Alison Roman's Nothing Fancy features beets in lieu of roasted red peppers. Get Alison Roman's garlicky beet dip with walnuts recipe.
Skillet Cornbread With Roasted Beet Swirl
When chef Suzanne Barr opened her first restaurant in Toronto, Saturday Dinette, she served up cornbread nightly to her guests, crisping slices of it on the flat top and serving it with floral butter. Here, she's updated that recipe with the addition of puréed beets, creating a psychedelic moment with the bright red swirls. Get her skillet cornbread with roasted beet swirl recipe.
Lemon-Roasted Sweet Potato & Beet Salad With Pickled Red Onions & Pecans
"Around the same time that I was developing this recipe, we were planning the menu to cater a friend’s wedding. The beautiful combination of colourful vegetables in this recipe, coupled with the ease of their make-ahead nature, inspired us to make this the starter course for the wedding. If we can make 150 people happy with this salad, I know you’ll love to serve it to your family or friends." Get Anna Olson's lemon-roasted sweet potato and beet salad with pickled red onions and pecans recipe.
Roasted Beet And Egg Salad with Rye Croutons
Horseradish-dill dressing gives this earthy rye and beet salad a tangy twist and eggs add protein. Get our roasted beet and egg salad with rye croutons recipe.
Apple Beet Sorbet
Store-bought beet juice streamlines this dairy-free dessert from 1989. Get this apple-beet sorbet recipe.
Beet Pasta With Creamy Ricotta, Walnuts And Basil
Add some colour to your fettuccine pasta with a velvety, vibrant magenta beet sauce. Get this beet pasta with creamy ricotta, walnuts and basil recipe.
Carrot, Beet And Apple Salad
Whole food cooking is at the heart of Kirsten Buck's site, Buck Naked Kitchen. She loves hemp hearts (a big Manitoba crop!) for nut milks and salads. Get her carrot, beet and apple salad recipe.
Mushroom And Beet Risotto
A creamy, colourful vegetarian dish that's perfect for winter. Tip: Steady stirring over a low simmer is what really makes this saucy risotto utter perfection. Get this mushroom and beet risotto.
Falafel Buddha Bowl
Filling for lunch or dinner! Get this falafel Buddha bowl recipe.
Beet-Cured Salmon Gravlax
Looking for a great, make-ahead brunch classic to wow your guests? Give cured salmon gravlax a try. Use beets to give the gravlax an extra bit of pizzazz. Get this beet-cured salmon gravlax recipe.
Red Beet Smoothie
Double up on nutrients by using the entire beet—greens and all—in this scarlet smoothie. Get our red beet smoothie recipe.
Roasted Beets And Their Greens
Using all the parts of a beet, nothing goes to waste in this dish. Use the leftover lemon juice to get the beet stains off of your fingers. Get this roasted beets and their greens recipe.
Beef And Beet Borscht
This borscht gets its bright, rich hue from beets and shredded red cabbage. It’s also a great meal for leftovers—the flavours continue to develop and improve overnight! Get this beef and beet borscht recipe.
Lebanese-Style Turnip And Beet Pickles
Add these turnip and beet pickles to savoury charcuterie boards during entertaining season—the acidity balanced out the rich meats and dips perfectly. Get this Lebanese-style turnip and beet pickles recipe.
Nordic Meatballs With Beet And Kale Salad
This filling, easy meal uses kale and beets—both nutritional powerhouses—to make dinner a delicious and healthful occasion. Get this Nordic meatballs with kale salad recipe.
Sesame-Ginger-Beet Quinoa Bowl
Jazz up your quinoa tonight with some sesame, ginger and beets for a flavour-packed, healthy dinner. Get this sesame-ginger-beet quinoa bowl recipe.
Power Beet Smoothie
Blend them up with some frozen bananas and raspberries and a bit of Greek yogurt for a tasty start to your day. Get this power beet smoothie recipe.
Quick Pickled Beets
If you’ve got more beets than you can reasonably eat, why not give pickling a try? Pickled beets last up to a month and are great toppings on sandwiches, burgers, salads and more. Get this quick-pickled beet recipe.
Velvety Beet Cupcakes With Raspberry Icing
And did we mention that it’s chocolatey too? A healthy and delicious cupcake that’s packed with raspberry and beet. Get this velvety beet cupcakes with raspberry icing recipe.
Mediterranean Beet Plate
For this colourful starter plate, mix and match your beets (we’ve added golden beets here for contrast). Serve overtop creamy Greek yogurt with parsley, and slices of crisp crostini. Get this Mediterranean beet plate recipe.
Beet Latkes
These latkes are topped with smoked salmon and caraway sour cream. Potatoes have nothing on these sides. Get this beet latkes recipe.
Beet & Feta Tart
Puff pastry gets baked with colourful beet slices and crumbled cheese and is topped with fresh basil to finish. Get this beet and feta tart recipe.
Beet Relish
Ditch the cranberry sauce this holiday season. Beet relish is a great side for Christmas turkey or tourtière. Get this beet relish recipe.
Pickled Beet Devilled Eggs
Let your devilled eggs soak in homemade pickled beet juice for a few hours to give them a beautiful purple ombre finish. (Prep tip: older eggs are easier to peel after hard-boiling than new ones.) Get this pickled beet devilled eggs recipe.
Creamy Cauliflower-Beet Dip
Add a vibrant pop of colour to appetizer tables this season with this homemade dip recipe, drizzled with fresh olive oil and toasted sesame seeds. Get this creamy cauliflower-beet dip recipe.
Superfood Sandwich
Stack it up! This sandwich takes our grainy brown bread and loads it up with our favourite superfoods. (You have to try it.) Get this superfood sandwich recipe.
Beet Ketchup
Sweet beets easily replace tomatoes in this wonderfully tangy homemade ketchup. We love it on hot dogs, burgers and fries too. Get this beet ketchup recipe.
Beet Brownies
This recipe for brownies is so moist and delicious, you’d never know there are beets in them. Get this beet brownies recipe.
Nordic Shrimp Sandwich
Another way we enjoy beets (when we’re not roasting or secretly baking them into desserts) is pickled. It’s a tangy, flavourful way to add beets to wraps, salads and sandwiches. Get this Nordic shrimp sandwich recipe.
Beet Horseradish
This peppery sauce packs the perfect kicked-up punch when it’s made from scratch. Get this beet horseradish recipe.
Jamie Oliver's Amazing Beet Salad
Colourful beets, fresh tarragon, walnuts, goat cheese and clementines (yes, just five ingredients!) give your salad course a major upgrade. Get Jamie Oliver's amazing beet salad recipe.
Brandy Beet Shrub Cocktail
Shrubs—an old way of preserving fruits and vegetables with vinegar—add punch to cocktails; this one is perfect for fall, with apple brandy and beet pickles as garnish. Get this brandy beet shrub cocktail recipe.
Swedish-Style Egg, Beet And Dill Sandwich
The humble sandwich goes haute. Build a better sandwich with a few fresh ingredients and some creative upgrades. Get this Swedish egg, dill and beet recipe.
Peach And Beet Carpaccio
Put those pickled beets to good use! They pair perfectly with the sweet-tasting peach, while onions rounds out the starter salad. Get this peach and beet carpaccio recipe.
Beet-Barley Risotto With Ricotta
We mixed it up and added pearl barley to this ruby risotto, garnishing it with fresh ricotta and sprigs of thyme. Get this beet-barley risotto with ricotta recipe.
Watch: The best way to peel roasted beets
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