22 Beet Recipes That You Can't Beat (2024)

Home Recipes Ingredients Vegetables Beets

22 Beet Recipes That You Can't Beat (1)Hazel WheatonUpdated: Nov. 16, 2023

    These beet recipes put this wonderful root vegetable to work! Beets add a sweet, earthy flavor to salads, soups, sides and more.

    Pickled Beets

    Get Recipe

    The pickled beets my mother made came from our garden and were canned for the winter months. Even as a child I loved beets because they brought so much color to our table. —Sara Lindler, Irmo, South Carolina

    Beet Salad with Lemon Dressing

    Go to Recipe

    I was looking for a recipe for pickled beets and saw one with lemon instead of vinegar. I immediately thought of making a tabbouleh-inspired salad with beets instead of tomatoes. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    This grilled beet pizza scores big with me for two reasons. It encourages my husband and son to eat greens, and it showcases fresh produce. —Sarah Gray, Erie, Colorado

    Nectarine and Beet Salad

    Go to Recipe

    Beets, nectarines and feta cheese make for scrumptious additions to mixed greens. While the combination of ingredients may seem unlikely, I guarantee it will become a favorite salad on your home menu. —Nicole Werner, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Air-Fryer Beets with Orange Gremolata and Goat Cheese

    Go to Recipe

    My grandma always grew beets and then pickled or canned them, but I prefer to prepare them differently. These roasted beets with fresh herbs and tangy goat cheese are wonderful in the winter or they can be enjoyed all year. —Courtney Archibeque, Greeley, Colorado

    Honey Beet Bread

    Get Recipe

    22 Beet Recipes That You Can't Beat (6)

    If you have any leftovers from dinner, you’ll find this savory beet bread makes great sandwiches, too. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey

    Minted Beet Salad

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    We have neighbors who share vegetables from their garden, and every year my husband and I look forward to their beets. My interest in Mediterranean food inspired this beet salad recipe—the vinegar and oil dressing with fresh mint will tone down the sweetness of the beets, and the kalamata olives add a salty touch. —Barbara Estabrook, Appleton, Wisconsin

    Berry-Beet Salad

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    Here’s a delightfully different salad that balances the earthy flavor of beets with the natural sweetness of berries. If you prefer, substitute crumbled feta for the goat cheese. —Amy Lyons, Mounds View, Minnesota

    Harvard Beets

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    This pretty side dish’s bright, citrusy flavors are an ideal companion for down-to-earth entrees—and for people who usually shy away from beets. —Jean Ann Perkins, Newburyport, Maryland

    Beet and Sweet Potato Fries

    Oven-baked beets and sweet potatoes put a colorful and flavorful twist on traditional French fries and add interest to a meal as a side dish. —Marie Rizzio, Interlochen, Michigan

    Russian Borscht Soup

    Go to Recipe

    With beets, carrots, cabbage and tomatoes, this Russian borscht soup recipe is great for gardeners like myself. Not only is it delicious, but its bright crimson color is eye-catching on the table. —Ginny Bettis, Montello, Wisconsin

    Roasted Beet Wedges

    Go to Recipe

    This beet recipe makes ordinary beets taste tender and delicious with just a few sweet and good-for-you ingredients. —Wendy Stenman, Germantown, Wisconsin

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    Glistening citrus and beets star in this colorful, tangy salad. It’s a refreshing mix of bright flavors—just add chicken and it’s a complete meal. —Peter Eldridge, Clermont, Florida

    Pickled Eggs with Beets and Hot Cherry Peppers

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    Because my grandmother didn’t measure anything when she cooked, I had to guess when I decided to duplicate her recipe for pickled eggs with beets. The color becomes more intense the longer they marinate. —Judie Thurstenson, Colcord, OK

    Red Flannel Stew

    Go to Recipe

    When I was a child, every Saturday night was red flannel night. Grandpa and I wore our red flannel long underwear to supper and Grandma, the cook, dressed in a long calico dress and sunbonnet. We’d eat this beet stew spooned over fluffy southern-style biscuits. Grandma learned to make the stew from earlier generations of our family. —Kathy Padgett, Diamond City, Arkansas

    Harvest Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    Mixed greens and plenty of beets make this salad so satisfying, and it’s gorgeous to serve for special occasions. —Jaye Beeler, Grand Rapids, Michigan

    Fall Garden Medley

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    I like to make this beet recipe in the fall and winter for special occasions because it’s very colorful, tasty and healthy. It’s a hearty side that complements many different meat dishes. —Krystine Kercher, Lincoln, Nebraska

    Winter Beet Salad

    Go to Recipe

    Taste of Home

    To save a little time on this sweet and savory beet salad, we recommend using packaged salad greens in this original recipe. The simple dressing is easy to assemble. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

    Pickled Eggs with Beets

    Go to Recipe

    Ever since I can remember, my mother served this pickled egg recipe at Easter. It was a tradition that my family expected. I made them for my granddaughter the last time she visited and they were all gone before she left. —Mary Banker, Fort Worth, Texas

    Originally Published: June 21, 2018

    22 Beet Recipes That You Can't Beat (20)

    Hazel Wheaton

    Hazel is a writer and editor who has worked in the publishing industry for over 25 years in the fields of travel, jewelry arts and food. As the editor of the Taste of Home Christmas Annual (among other titles), she's in the holiday spirit all year round. An enthusiastic baker, she's known for her cookies, cakes and other baked goods. And she still wishes she could cook like her mother.

    22 Beet Recipes That You Can't Beat (2024)

    FAQs

    Should beets be served hot or cold? ›

    Salads: Beets can be eaten hot or cold. In salads, beets can be eaten cooked or raw and in both forms they taste the best paired with salty and sweet ingredients. Ingredients like a sharp, soft cheese (goat cheese, feta or blue cheese) and berries, apples and oranges taste amazing with beets.

    What are the different ways to cook beets? ›

    Beets are delicious roasted, grilled, microwaved, steamed, boiled or air-fried. The key is to experiment with various cooking techniques to find one that gives you the desired flavor. Here, we'll show you many ways to make beets delicious along with ideas on how to work them into recipes that will please everyone.

    What to do with too many beets? ›

    Relish, pickles, canning, sauerkraut, jam- the list goes on. These may sound complicated and time-consuming, but they need not be. There are literally hundreds of beetroot preserving recipes out there on the internet for you to try, and many of them are easy.

    How do you make beets taste like meat? ›

    Cure your vegetables as you would a piece of meat for a couple of days. This can be achieved by rubbing the vegetable or mushroom with salt at a concentration of 1.75% of the vegetable's weight, wrapping it tightly in plastic or vacuum sealing it, and letting it sit in the fridge for 2-3 days.

    Do you have to peel beets before eating? ›

    Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling. (Some people are happy to leave the skins on; they are fine to eat.)

    Should beets be peeled before boiling? ›

    Don't remove the beet skin before cooking.

    It's really not necessary and it's much easier to do so after cooking. Some also find that removing the skin prior to cooking takes away some of the beet's earthy test.

    Can you drink the beet juice after boiling beets? ›

    Yes, you can. It's completely safe to drink water that has been used to boil beetroots. Why can't I eat them raw? Actually, beets can be eaten raw, especially when grated or made into a salad.

    Is it better to boil or bake beets? ›

    Roasting beets gives them a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does.

    How do you add flavor to cooked beets? ›

    Flavors that pair well with roasted beets:

    Balsamic vinegar, as well as red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Black pepper. Carrots. Creamy cheese and dairy, including feta, goat cheese, blue cheese, ricotta, crème fraîche, sour cream and plain yogurt.

    Can I freeze beets? ›

    Slice the beets (about 1/4-inch thickness), cut in quarters, or dice. Leave small (1-inch) beets whole, if desired. Pack the beets into freezer containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, label with the name and date, and freeze for up to 8 months.

    When should you not eat beets? ›

    Anyone who has low blood pressure or is currently taking blood pressure medication should speak with a healthcare professional before adding beets or beetroot juice to their diet. Beets contain high levels of oxalates, which can cause kidney stones in people with a high risk of this condition.

    What happens to your body when you eat beets everyday? ›

    The nitrates in beets don't just reduce inflammation, they also improve heart health. Nitrates have been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Beets are also naturally low in cholesterol and fat, which makes them a good option for people concerned about heart disease or stroke.

    What are the symptoms of beetroot poisoning? ›

    The primary symptom of beeturia is discolored urine or stools. Urine appears red or pink after eating beetroot or foods and juices containing extracts or pigments of beetroot. The extent of discoloration varies from person to person and depends on what you ingested.

    How do you make beets more palatable? ›

    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.

    Are beets better steamed or roasted? ›

    While roasting yields flavorful results, steaming beets makes their skin easier to peel off and makes them tender and more pleasant to eat.

    Is it better to eat beets raw or cooked? ›

    Raw or Cooked? Cooked. Low in calories and high in nutrients, cooked beets reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Benefits: Naturally occurring compounds in beets improve blood flow, help keep arteries healthy and reduce LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' kind).

    What is the best and healthiest way to eat beets? ›

    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.

    References

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

    Last Updated:

    Views: 6097

    Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

    Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Saturnina Altenwerth DVM

    Birthday: 1992-08-21

    Address: Apt. 237 662 Haag Mills, East Verenaport, MO 57071-5493

    Phone: +331850833384

    Job: District Real-Estate Architect

    Hobby: Skateboarding, Taxidermy, Air sports, Painting, Knife making, Letterboxing, Inline skating

    Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.