We share easy ways to cook beets, a vibrant, earthy root vegetable.
As one of nature’s most beautiful vegetables,beets are highly nutritious, versatile, and tasty.
But did you know there are various types of beets beyond the red beet?
Photo: Magdalena Niemczyk/Getty Images
Here are a few common beet varieties you may find at a local store orfarmers market.
The veiny, leafy tops of beets are edible and can be simply sauteed like any other leafy green.
Beets pair well with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh and woody herbs.
Fun fact: Beets can be thinly sliced and enjoyed raw.
Try scrubbing with a vegetable or produce brush.
After cooking, cooledbeets can be storedin an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Roasting Beets
Roasting concentrates the beet’s sweet and earthy flavor.
All you need is a hot oven and aluminum foil for this popular cooking method.
This method also allows beets to retain their beautiful, vibrant color.
Boiling Beets
This is a quick and easy method for cooking beets.
Keep about 1 inch of the stem attached to the beet to prevent loss of nutrients as it boils.
This ensures beets stay tender and prevents them from drying out and turning chewy if sliced and grilled.
Any size of beets works, but this is when small beets really pay off.
It’s a great method to give new life to pre-cooked and leftover beets.
It shaves off time when cooking beets and keeps them smooth and tender.
Air Frying Beets
Using anair fryeressentially roasts beets, but saves you significant time.
However, unlike most other cooking methods, beets should be peeled before air frying.
Use disposable gloves or peel beets with hands submerged in cool water to avoid stained hands.
Plus, you won’t lose any nutritional value.
Like with air frying, it’s best to peel beets before microwaving.
you’ve got the option to also microwave whole beets.
Place in a microwave-safe dish and cover with water halfway.
