• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Eating Seasonal
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Winter
  • Food Photography
  • About
    • Get The Free Ebook!
  • Contact Me
Logo

Twists & Zests

Seasonal recipes and a dash of science.

  • Main Dishes
  • Desserts
  • Sides
  • Snacks and Appetizers
  • Drinks
  • Preserves and Sauces
Home » Recent Posts » Main Dishes » 15+ Creative Beet Recipes

15+ Creative Beet Recipes

Dairy Free, Desserts, Fall, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Salad, Spring, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

Share the tasties!

  • Share
  • Yummly
  • Tweet
  • Mix
  • Email
Image of beets with text optimized for pinterest saying how to store beets and beet greens
Collage image optimized for pinterest saying how to Prepare Beets

Get ideas for what to cook with beets using this collection of beet recipes. There’s a bit of something for all diets and desires, including a few desserts with beets! Find that next amazing beet recipe from all these great options.

Beets! So many things to make with beets. But of course, when you are looking in the fridge at those lovely bunches, you inevitably can’t think of anything to make with them. So, when that happens, I’ve got you covered. Here are some tasty beet recipes – both sweet and savoury and everything in between.

2 large golden beets and 4 small red beets on wooden background.

Let’s talk a bit about beets

Know everything about beets? Just scroll down to get to the list of beet recipes.

Bundle of greens and stalks from red beets scattered on a white wood table

Beet greens

Don’t throw away those beet greens as soon as you get back from the store or farmer’s market. The greens and stems of beets are perfectly edible and quite delicious. You’ll get so much more value for your money if you cook up the greens as well as the roots!

Beet greens taste like and can be cooked similarly to chard. They are a little more strongly flavoured, so they pair really well with robust proteins like bacon or shiitake mushrooms. However beet greens do still leech a lot of colour into whatever they are cooked with, so don’t be surprised when your entire sauté or soup turns red.

Beet greens can also be eaten raw. They have a nice earthy flavour and can be used much like you would use raw kale. Just chop them very finely. Beets have very thick leaves, which can correspond to being tough if left in large chunks. This is because beet greens have a thick cuticle – the outermost layer of a leaf which prevents it from losing water. (Look, I had to include at least one science fact, I am me). Heat and acids breakdown the cuticle layer which softens up all kinds of tough, leafy greens.

4 Red beets and stems on a wood board with a large knife. Beets and stems are cut just above the beet root.

Storing beets

Like many root vegetables, beets last for a long time if stored properly. So, how do you store beets properly.

  1. Beet roots and beet greens should be stored separately. If you get your beets with the greens still attached the first step is to cut the stems a couple inches from the top of the beet. If left on the root, the greens will draw all the moisture out of it.
  2. Beet roots last the longest when stored in a cool, dry portion of the fridge with plenty of air flow. A paper bag (rather than plastic) is useful for better airflow around root vegetables. Or they can be just stored loose – and NOT in a high humidity produce drawer. Also, make sure the beets are completely dry before storing.
  3. Storing beet greens is exactly the opposite of beet roots. Like chard and kale, the greens need a high humidity environment (though not wet) to stay fresh. Store your beet greens in a bag in one of the produce drawers. I like to add a paper towel to the bag to absorb any water that accumulates.

When stored properly like this, beet roots can last 2-3 weeks in the fridge and beet greens can last 5 days. While I do not necessarily advise keeping beets this long, I have had beets last in a well ventilated portion of the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

Large golden beet and small red beet, each with their tops cut away showing how much thicker the skin is on a large beet than on a small, fresh beet.

To peel or not to peel? That is the question.

Strictly speaking, beets don’t have to be peeled. In fact, when you have small beets, peeling just means you lose half the beet! The best way to clean baby beets is just a light scrub in cool water to get rid of any lingering roots and dirt. And maybe a bit of extra trimming at the top to remove lingering stems.

Now with large beets, especially those that have been stored for a while (i.e. don’t have their greens), peeling can be a good plan. As beets get more mature (bigger) the skin gets thicker, and when the beets have been sitting in storage and losing moisture it can become very tough and unpleasant to eat. So peeling large beets is a good default.

Whether or not to peel beets also depends on how you are preparing them. Eating them raw? Peel them (unless they are small, tender, and fresh from the ground). Roasting your beets? Peeling is typically not necessary (just clean up any bits that look tough). But when steaming beets, it is really dependent on the quality of the beets, though most of the time I will peel them or give them a heavy-duty scrub.

4 small red beets and 2 large golden beets. one of red beets and one of the golden beets is sliced to show the concentric rings of the root.

Reviving Beets

I get it. Sometimes we all forget about those veggies tucked at the back of the fridge. Fortunately, beets are one of the vegetables that can be rescued if they’ve been sitting too long and lost moisture.

To save a beet that has started to go soft:

  1. Trim off the ends and slice the beet in half.
  2. Submerge in a bowl full of cold water. Loosely cover.
  3. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
  4. Use within 24 hours of rehydrating.

This is only for beets that have lost moisture but are still whole and dry. Do not try this if any portion of the beet has gone slimy or one particular spot is significantly softer than the rest of the beet. These signs indicate the beet has started to rot and should be thrown away.

Image optimized for Pinterest saying 15+ Creative Recipes for Beets

15+ Beet Recipes for All Occasions

There are so many great ways to prepare beets. Try one of these excellent beet recipes to use up all those extra beets in your fridge.

Garlic Mint Beets
Roasted beets marinated in mint and green garlic are a refreshing take on the standard. Drizzle with yogurt for an excellent side dish or add to a salad.
Try this recipe
Beet Burgers with Herbed Guacamole and Parsnip Fries – Daring Kitchen
These colourful vegan burgers are excellent for a spring cookout, or any time really when you want something veggies packed with lots of flavour.
Try this recipe
Homemade Beet Dressing
Skip the standard flavours and give your salad an extra pop with this tangy dressing. Roasted beets give this vegan dressing a creamy texture.
Try this recipe
Vegan Beetroot Pasta Sauce
Beets aren’t just for salads, but also for pastas. This creamy sauce is a fun alternative.
Try this recipe
Raw Balsamic Tahini Beet Noodles – Strength and Sunshine
Spiralized beets and arugula are dressed with earthy tahini in this dish that is perfect when you want something light and fresh. 100% vegan and gluten free!
Try this recipe
Roasted Beetroot and Feta Salad
Use not just the beet roots, but the greens as well for this salad. Gluten free and options to use both vegan or regular feta.
Try this recipe
Nourish Bowls with tahini dressing – elkeliving.com
Get some great ideas on how to dress up rice and roasted vegetables into a gluten free and vegan meal you’d be happy to eat everyday.
Try this recipe
Duck Breast & Asian Greens
Get a little fancy with some seared duck breast, or just use the beet and rhubarb sauce to add flavour to other meats.
Try this recipe
Cheesy Polenta Recipe with Roasted Beets – Southern & Modern
Naturally gluten free cheesy polenta pairs beautifully with roasted beets for a cozy vegetarian meal.
Try this recipe
Roasted Beet & Feta Tart
Savoury tarts are perfect for pairing with a salad for a light meal.
Try this recipe
Beet Soup Recipe – Ukrainian Borscht
A vegan (or at least vegetarian) version of the classic Slavic beet soup is warm and comforting during the colder months.
Try this recipe
Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry
This creamy vegan curry has just the right amount of spice and is perfect over rice.
Try this recipe
Golden Beet Gratin
This creamy, cheesy gratin is a wonderful alternative to the standard potato version.
Try this recipe
Bengali Vegetable Chop – Spicytamarind
These vegan, deep fried bites are a south Asian street food filled with flavourful root vegetables.
Try this recipe
Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Beets aren’t just for savoury dishes. They add plenty of moisture, and a good serving of vegetables to this intense chocolate cake.
Try this recipe
Honey Roasted Beet Nice Cream
Roasted beets add creaminess and depth of flavour to this dairy-free ice cream sweetened with honey.
Try this recipe
Strawberry Beet Smoothie
Add more vegetables to your morning routine or midday snack with a beet filled vegan smoothie.
Try this recipe

Related posts:

The Science of Better Gluten Formation - In Pizza!
Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Garlic
Grilled Apricot Ice Cream

Share the tasties!

  • Share
  • Yummly
  • Tweet
  • Mix
  • Email

December 9, 2021 · Last Modified: December 9, 2021 · © 2018–2023

Previous Post: « Onion Wine Jam

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Woman in striped apron beating egg whites in copper bowl

Hi, I’m Quin, a scientist turned recipe developer and food photographer. I love eating seasonally and locally – fresh food just tastes so much better! I want to show you how to use fresh ingredients to make amazing meals. Learn more about my food philosophy…

Subscribe to Updates

Search by Category

Most Popular Posts

Loaf of spiced persimmon bread

Persimmon Bread and 15+ Recipes for Persimmons

Blackberry cream puffs bitten into

Blackberry Cream Puffs

Blueberry basil shrub in bottle with 2 cocktails in front

Blueberry Basil Shrub

  • Disclosure Policy
  • Recommendations
  • Contact Me

Copyright © 2023 · Thyme Theme by Restored 316

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok