Eat Your Beets & Love Them Too
4 Satisfying Ways to Eat Your Beets!
“The first person who milked a cow must have been into some weird stuff”
I came across this one-liner on Reddit last Tuesday, and after it gave me a solid 5-minute chuckle (it doesn’t take much) I got to really thinking, why on earth would someone:
- Think they could actually get liquid to come out of a living being
- TRY DRINKING IT.
Like how many animals did this guy go around squeezing until he was a success??
Anyway. A little off topic. To my original point, can we give a Nobel Prize to the first person that happened to find and dig up starchy veggies from the ground? Tell me ya can’t live without carrots and potatoes. I know I can’t!
But. There is more out there. Lesser known “root crops” have started to make their way to households and I could not be more ecstatic.
One of my favorite and most underutilized vegetables is the beet. Packed with nutritious advantages, beets (when roasted) can be SUPER versatile and cheap! You will most likely find these earthy veggies in your grocery store during the spring and fall seasons, but I love eating them all year-round—especially my Berries & Beets Smoothie in the summer.
To roast beets, begin by cutting off the stems with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, and tightly wrap each individual bulb in foil. You can place the bulbs directly on the oven rack at 375 degrees, for about 25-30 minutes. (Note: Beet juice may drip out of the foil packs, so I’d suggest placing a tray in the bottom rack to catch spillage!) Once roasted, cool off the unwrapped beets by running under cold water. Now you’re ready to cube, slice, or blend those babies up.
#1: Beet Hummus/Avocado Toast
My first time making hummus (and beet hummus, at that!) was a smooth success. With 5 simple ingredients, this velvety blend was a quick fix for a dipping snack or toast topper. Check out my other toast topping ideas here!
Promptly following my first hummus-making experience, I texted my mom that my experiment was a triumph and I couldn’t wait for her to try it. Her response?
“Well that sounds interesting, honey, but I’m going to have to pass on this one.”
What??
Note to self: If I’d spellcheck my texts before sending, I’d have realized I told mom I just made “beer hummus” in the blender and it tasted great.
Tell me that all have those days..?
Beet Hummus
Roasted beets blended in with creamy chickpeas to create a pretty (and satisfying) dip for any vessel.
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary (optional)
Instructions
To Roast Beets
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. After cutting off the top, greeny parts of the beets, wrap each beet in foil and bake directly on oven rack for 30-40 minutes, or until they are able to be sliced by a knife. (Hint: I place a cookie sheet under the rack of beets to catch any drips).
3. After allowing the beets to cool, remove the outer skins from the body and cut into quarters.
To Make the Hummus
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1. Place all chickpeas and the quartered beats into the blender and pulse to combine.
2. Add all of the remaining ingredients (besides the rosemary) and blend for 2 minutes, or until mixture is fully incorporated and creamy. (Hint: You may have to intermittently stop the blender to scrape down the sides).
3. After the mixture is completely combined, pulse in the rosemary to your desired taste.
4. Serve with crackers, veggies, or on toast. Enjoy!
#2: Blueberries and Beets Smoothie
Any time I throw beets in the oven to roast, I cut up a few and throw them into the freezer to save for an easy morning smoothie. Freezing canned beets from the store will also do the trick! Feel free to get creative with this recipe, but I’ve included my go-to Blueberries and Beets ingredients below:
Blueberries & Beets Smoothie for One
Thicken up your smoothie with the hit veggie of the summer - beets!
Ingredients
Smoothie Mix
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 frozen beet, diced
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Smoothie Toppings
- A small handful of granola KIND Vanilla Blueberry is my favorite for this drink!
- 1 tbsp coconut flakes
Instructions
-
1. Add all smoothie mix ingredients to blender, and combine for 2-3 minutes or until fully incorporated. If the mix is not blending appropriately, add more almond milk and continue to scrape down sides of blender with a spatula.
2. Pour smoothie into a cup (or bowl!) of your choice, and sprinkle on toppings.
3. Sip and enjoy!
AND HOW PRETTY!
#3: Beet/Butternut Squash/Goat Cheese/Walnut Salad with Arugula
Although the feel of this dish is a little more “fall” when we add in butternut squash, I just had to include my Northstar-inspired salad on this post. Last winter, I went through a HUGE butternut squash phase. We’re talking soups, zoodles, (squash noodles.. so uh.. soodles?) and I even got to the point where I was just eating roasted chunks straight from the oven. I was in love!
Thankfully, my obsession led me to order Northstar’s winter vegetable salad one evening. The salad is a mix of their magical butternut squash, roasted beets, creamy goat cheese, and candied spicy pecans. And don’t even get me started on that vinaigrette. LORD. Unfortunately, a salad from Northstar will cost ya anywhere from $12-$18 (I say that because how do you not swipe a peanut butter cookie when you’re there too??), and I knew making an alternate version at home would curb my cravings. Wa-lah, another use for my beloved beets.
Butternut Squash and Beet Salad
I mixed my favorite winter vegetable into a light, summery salad to create the perfect balance!
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 cups arugula, washed
- 1 butternut squash, roasted
- 2 beets, roasted
- 1/4 cup goat cheese
- 1/4 cup walnuts
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss peeled and cubed butternut squash with a desired amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place chunks on baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil, and place in oven for 25-30 minutes (or until slightly browned).
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Cut both ends off of the beet bulbs and wrap in aluminum foil and roast with the butternut squash, placing the foil-covered bulbs on the oven rack beside the baking sheets.
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Meanwhile, mix together all ingredients for the dressing.
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When the veggies are roasted and cooled, assemble the salad by tossing together the arugula, butternut squash, beets, goat cheese crumbles, walnuts, and dressing. Enjoy!
#4: Beet Pizza with Goat Cheese and Spinach
LET’S TALK CARBS. Convincing the BF to try beets was not an easy task, so I knew I had to make something the hearty eaters in my life would want to gobble up for dinner! I’ve already gushed enough about my love for Real Food, Real Simple, so I’ll spare you the details on my blogger-crush for Simply Taylor and skip straight to the recipe. I’ve linked Taylor’s quick recipe for a homemade gluten free crust here, and it’s the perfect combination of light and crispy. I got my pizza recipe from Live Eat Learn, check it out here.
Thanks for reading along and if you made it this far, you must love beets as much as I do. Cheers!
