Beets are famous for their roots, but beet greens are tasty too! This recipe for sautéed beet leaves shows its delicate texture and sweet and soft taste.
Best beet leaf recipe tips
- Cut them right away. To extend the shelf life of both beets and vegetables, trim vegetables from their roots as soon as you get home from the farmer’s market or store. Otherwise, the greens will extract moisture from the beets, causing them to quickly wither. After cutting the vegetables, wrap them in plastic or a bag of reusable products and store them in the crispiest drawer of your refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.
- Wash them thoroughly. In the store, you will rarely find pre-washed beet leaves ready to eat. In my experience, they are usually the opposite: covered in dirt! Always, always wash and dry beet greens before cooking to remove any dirt or debris.
- Use the stems and leaves. Like chard, beet greens have crunchy, edible stems that add color and crunchiness to any beet leaf recipe. Don’t throw them away! Fold them finely and cook them together with the leaves.
How to cook
beet leaves
You have cut the beet greens from the beets, and washed and dried them. It seems that you are ready to cook! My favorite method of cooking beet greens is to sauté them. Here’s how I do it:
Start by removing the leaves from the stems. Then, finely cut the stems and tear or cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces. While you’re at it, go ahead and chop a clove of garlic as well.
So, cook! Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped stems and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Next, add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring, until wilted.
That’s all! Its beet leaves are ready to eat.
<img src="https://cdn.loveandlemons.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/beet-greens-1.jpg" alt="Beet greens sautéed
in a pan” />
Sautéed beet greens Serving tips
Sautéed beet
greens alone
are a delicious accompaniment. I like to dress them up with a big splash of lemon, golden raisins and toasted walnuts. Raisins bring out the sweetness of vegetables, and nuts add a delicious crunch. If you’ve been reading the blog for some time, you know I like to squeeze lemon into just about everything, but it really adds a nice bright touch of flavor here. Don’t skip it!
This recipe for sautéed beet greens would be a great addition to any fall or winter meal. Pair it with your favorite protein, pasta or soup recipe, or serve it as part of a holiday dinner along with classic dishes like sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and, of course, roasted beets.
Alternatively, skip raisins and nuts, and use sautéed beet greens as a component in larger dishes. Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
- With eggs. Fold beet greens into scrambled eggs or an omelet, or add them to your next vegetarian frittata.
- In paste. Mix vegetables with pasta, nuts, feta cheese, and red pepper flakes for a quick and easy weekday dinner.
- In a bowl of grain. Start with a grain such as quinoa, farro or brown rice. Then, add the sautéed vegetables and a protein like baked tofu, lentils, roasted chickpeas, or a hard-boiled egg. Complete with a tasty sauce like tahini sauce, pesto or lemon vinaigrette to make a delicious and healthy meal!
How do you like to eat beet greens? Let me know in the comments!
<img src="https://cdn.loveandlemons.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cooking-beet-greens.jpg" alt=
“Sautéed Beet Leaf Recipe” /> Favorite Beet Recipes If you make this recipe for sautéed
beet
greens
, you’ll likely end up with plenty of beets on hand. Show them in one
of these easy beet recipes:Roasted
- beetroot
- with carrot and ginger dressing Roasted
- Tahini
- Quinoa burger Or
- any of these 15 fresh
with citrus kale salad
beet salad
Beet Sauce
beet recipes
!
