The beets many of us remember from childhood were likely canned, with a tinny flavor and mushy texture, or pickled in sharp, acrid white vinegar. In contrast, what a revelation freshly cooked beets are, with their juicy, firm texture and sweetly earthy flavor.
And what a treat for the eyes they are! All of the varieties available these days are show-stoppingly gorgeous. Red beets are the most commonly available and probably the first image that comes to mind when we think of beets. These are the messiest to prepare thanks to their pigment, which stains everything pink. Golden beets are a bit mellower in flavor than red beets and have a beautiful carroty hue. They are great in mixed vegetable dishes because they don’t bleed their pigment into other ingredients. Chioggia beets are an Italian heirloom variety; they are also called candy cane beets because of their interior red-and-white rings. You may also find Chioggia beets with a yellow-and-white striped interior. White beets look like turnips and are less sweet than other varieties. Harvested small, they are table beets. Large white beets are grown for animal feed and for making sugar.
The recipes in this chapter are surprisingly varied. We made our kitchens messy so that you wouldn’t have to while experimenting with the best method for roasting beets. We also teach you how to braise beets and use the flavorful leftover cooking liquid to make three tasty finishing glazes.
We modernized the old standbys of pickled beets and borscht, created a better baked beet chip for snacking, spiralized them into noodles, and incorporated them into a Middle Eastern dip. Our Beet and Barley Risotto features the mild-tasting but often-overlooked beet greens, as does the Sautéed Beet Greens with Raisins and Almonds.
shopping and storage
Beets, both with and without their greens, are available year-round. Beet greens are at their most tender in the springtime. Small beets are more tender than large ones, but they are also more labor-intensive to peel and prep. Very large beets can be woody. Choose medium-size beets for the best return on investment. And don’t forget those beet greens! When they are attached to the beetroots, it’s a sign of freshness for the whole vegetable. For storage, separate the roots from the greens and store the greens loosely wrapped in paper towels in a plastic produce bag in the refrigerator for a few days. Store the roots in an open plastic produce bag in the refrigerator, where they will keep for at least a month.
vegetable science
Beets’ Survival Strategy
Beets are one of the sweetest vegetables in existence. In terms of the amount of sugar per 100 grams, they are sweeter than several fruits! This hallmark sweetness is actually the result of the plant’s cold-weather defense mechanism. The natural sugars in beets act like antifreeze, lowering the freezing point of water in the plant and thus helping prevent that water from freezing and forming destructive ice crystals that would rupture the cell walls. And those startlingly bright colors that dye your skin and kitchen tools so prettily but so persistently? They come from water-soluble pigments called betalains, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
removing beet stains from hands
Although beets have a beautiful hue, they easily stain your hands with their pigment. There are several effective ways to remove beet stains from your hands.
Sprinkle with salt, then scrub with soap.
Rub a dab of whitening toothpaste with peroxide on hands, then wash with hot, soapy water.
Rub hand that will be holding beets with ½ teaspoon vegetable oil, keeping hand that will be holding knife dry. Afterward, wash with hot, soapy water.
Or, to prevent stains to begin with, wear disposable food handling gloves when working with beets.
vegetable prep
Grating Raw Beets
After trimming and peeling beets, grate on large holes of box grater or use shredding disk of food processor.
Peeling Cooked Beets
To avoid stained hands when peeling cooked beets, when cool enough to handle, cradle beets in paper towel and gently rub off skin.
SAUTÉED BEET GREENS WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS
Serves 2 or 3
Total time: 20 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSIf you find beet greens attached to the beets at your market, please bring them home with you—they are mild and delicious. Among blanching, steaming, microwaving, and wilting, we found the simplest, most straightforward recipe for these tender greens to be wilting on the stovetop. We simply tossed the leaves, still wet from washing, into a heated sauté pan, covered it, and cooked them, stirring occasionally, until the greens wilted via the steam from their own liquid. We then found that we got even better results when combining this technique with sautéing—we heated oil in a sauté pan, added the wet greens, covered and steamed them until wilted, and then uncovered the pan and cooked on high until all the liquid had evaporated. Sweet golden raisins and crunchy almonds gave the greens Mediterranean flavors. For the variation, onion, fresh ginger and jalapeño, and curry, along with a finishing touch of cream, moved the greens east to India.
2 pounds beet greens, stemmed and chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup golden raisins, chopped
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
Salt and pepper
1. Wash and drain beet greens, leaving greens slightly wet. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Add raisins and wet greens. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in lemon zest. Increase heat to high and cook, uncovered, until liquid evaporates, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in almonds and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
VARIATION
Sautéed Beet Greens with Indian Spices
Omit olive oil, pepper flakes, raisins, lemon zest, and almonds. Before cooking greens in step 1, heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 small onion, chopped fine, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger; ½ jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 2 teaspoons curry powder; and ½ teaspoon ground cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. After evaporating liquid in pan in step 2, add ¼ cup heavy cream and 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar and cook until cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSThe flavor of roasted fresh beets is head-and-shoulders above that of the canned version. They are intensely sweet and firm, rather than tinny, tangy, and mushy. So how, exactly, do you roast a beet? We tried several different methods. The first approach simply blasted untrimmed beets in a hot oven. While they possessed an intense flavor, they took hours, shrank to a fraction of their size, and the skins dried to desiccated husks that required a razor-sharp paring knife to remove. Another method involved roasting the beets in a covered baking dish partially filled with water. The beets cooked faster, but in terms of flavor, they might as well have been boiled. A third approach roasted the beets in a covered dish with no water. This made an unholy mess as exuded beet juices stuck fast to the pan bottom. For our fourth method, we wrapped each unpeeled beet tightly in foil and roasted them on a baking sheet. The results tasted every bit as sweet and intense as those roasted uncovered, but they cooked in half the time and peeled easily.
1 pound beets, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets individually in aluminum foil and place on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until beets can be easily pierced with paring knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour, removing beets individually from oven as they finish cooking.
2. Open foil packets to allow steam to escape and let cool slightly. Once beets are cool enough to handle, rub off skins with paper towels. Slice beets ¼ inch thick and place in medium bowl.
3. Add oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
VARIATIONS
Roasted Beets with Dill-Walnut Vinaigrette
Increase oil to 6 tablespoons. While beets cool in step 2, whisk oil, 1 minced shallot, 1½ tablespoons minced fresh dill, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice together in medium bowl. Add cooled, sliced beets and ½ cup toasted, chopped walnuts to bowl with vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.
Roasted Beets with Ginger Butter and Chives
Omit oil. While beets cool in step 2, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add one 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks, to skillet and cook until fragrant and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Off heat, add 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives and stir to combine. Add butter mixture to bowl with beets in step 3.
BRAISED BEETS WITH LEMON AND ALMONDS
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSWe sought a streamlined stovetop recipe for beets that maximized their sweet, earthy flavor—with minimal mess. Braising worked perfectly. We partially submerged the beets in just 1¼ cups of water so that they partially simmered and partially steamed. Halving the beets cut down our cooking time. In just 45 minutes, the beets were tender and their skins slipped off easily. We reduced the braising liquid and added brown sugar and vinegar to make a glossy glaze. Shallot, toasted almonds, fresh mint and thyme, and a little lemon zest finished the dish. Look for beets that are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. You can use an 11-inch straight-sided sauté pan in place of the Dutch oven in this recipe. The beets can be served warm or at room temperature. If serving at room temperature, add the nuts (or seeds, if making the variation with lime and pepitas) and fresh herbs right before serving.
1½ pounds beets, trimmed and halved horizontally
1¼ cups water
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1. Place beets, cut side down, in single layer in Dutch oven. Add water and ¼ teaspoon salt and bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beets are tender and can be easily pierced with paring knife, 45 to 50 minutes.
2. Transfer beets to cutting board to cool slightly. Meanwhile, increase heat to medium-high and reduce cooking liquid, stirring occasionally, until pan is almost dry, 5 to 6 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar, return to boil, and cook, stirring constantly with heat-resistant spatula, until spatula leaves wide trail when dragged through glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
3. Once beets are cool enough to handle, rub off skins with paper towels and cut into ½-inch wedges. Add beets, shallot, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to glaze and toss to coat. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with almonds, mint, and thyme, and serve.
VARIATIONS
Braised Beets with Lime and Pepitas
Omit thyme. Substitute lime zest for lemon zest, toasted pepitas for almonds, and cilantro for mint.
Braised Beets with Orange and Walnuts
Substitute orange zest for lemon zest, walnuts for almonds, and parsley for mint.
PICKLED BEETS
Makes four 1-pint jars
Total time: 2 hours
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSTo create a recipe that had nothing in common with the one-dimensional, mushy, cloying pickled beets that line supermarket shelves, we started by briefly roasting our beets in the oven to concentrate their flavor and make them just tender enough to peel. Cutting them into ⅓-inch-thick slices helped the beets stay firm. Fruity cider vinegar was the right base for the brine, and sugar softened its acidity. Ginger and star anise added a clean spice flavor to balance the earthy beets. Heating the jars with hot water and then draining them before adding the hot brine ensured that the jars wouldn’t crack from the abrupt temperature change. Choose beets that are uniform in size; for added charm, try golden or Chioggia varieties. You can easily double this recipe; simply use a larger pot (or two pots) when making the brine and cooking the beets. The pickled beets can be refrigerated for up to three months.
3 pounds beets, trimmed
3 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
3 star anise pods
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets individually in aluminum foil and place on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until paring knife inserted into beets meets some resistance, 30 to 45 minutes; remove beets individually from oven as they reach appropriate doneness. Open foil packets to allow steam to escape and let cool slightly. Once beets are cool enough to handle, rub off skins with paper towels. Quarter beets, then cut crosswise into ⅓-inch-thick slices.
2. Bring vinegar, 2 cups water, sugar, ginger, star anise, salt, and peppercorns to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain brine through fine-mesh strainer, return it to pot, and bring to boil. Add beets and return to brief boil, then immediately remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, fill four 1-pint jars with hot water to warm. Drain jars, then using slotted spoon, pack beets into jars. Using funnel and ladle, pour hot brine over beets to cover. Let jars cool completely, cover with lids, and refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving.
BEET MUHAMMARA
Makes about 2 cups
Total time: 30 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSTraditional muhammara is a sweet-smoky blend of roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and Turkish or Syrian spices. It makes a delicious dip for crudités or pita, a spread for sandwiches, or a sauce for meat and fish. Ours incorporates beets, which gives it a splendid color and deeper flavor. For optimal creaminess, we found that microwaving grated beets softened them just enough to blend into the mixture. Jarred roasted peppers added smokiness without any hassle. Pomegranate molasses gave the dip its hallmark sweet yet slightly bitter flavor. It can be found in the international aisle of supermarkets; or substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon mild molasses for the 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses. You can use the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disk to shred the beets.
8 ounces beets, trimmed, peeled, and shredded
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1 scallion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1. Microwave beets in covered bowl, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer beets to fine-mesh strainer set over bowl and let drain for 10 minutes.
2. Process drained beets, peppers, walnuts, scallion, oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
3. Transfer mixture to serving bowl and season with salt to taste. Drizzle with extra oil to taste, and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
VEGETABLES REIMAGINED
BRAISED BEETS WITH LEMON AND ALMONDS
Don’t dump that beet-braising water down the sink! Using a small amount of water to braise beets on the stovetop both cooks them in a way that minimizes color-staining mess and leaves you with a flavorful infused liquid that can be reduced and used in a simple, versatile glaze or vinaigrette.
1. Trim the beets and then, to cut down on the cooking time, halve them horizontally.
2. Place the beets, cut side down, in a single layer in a Dutch oven and add the water and salt.
3. Simmer the beets until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a paring knife, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer them to a cutting board to cool before rubbing off the skins.
4. Reduce the braising liquid in the pot, then add the vinegar and sugar and reduce the liquid again until a spatula leaves a trail when dragged through the glaze.
5. Cut the beet halves into ½-inch wedges, then add them to the pan with the glaze and toss with the flavorings to combine.
6. Transfer the beets to a serving platter, sprinkle with the nuts and herbs, and serve warm.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSA snackable chip made from beets has become a popular and more healthful alternative to potato chips. Beet chips sounded delightful, but we were skeptical about getting truly crisp results without any special equipment. Indeed, many of the recipes we tested produced chips that were leathery and floppy, or overcooked and bitter. Crispness depended on extracting as much moisture as possible from the beets. To do this without overcooking the chips, we lightly salted them to draw out some water—almost 2 tablespoons! Microwaving is a popular alternative to frying, but the process was inconsistent at best; the difference between perfection and burnt was mere seconds. So we took a cue from our kale chip method and slow-baked our beets in a 200-degree oven. It took a couple of hours but produced chips with a concentrated beet flavor, light crunch, and deep color. Be careful to not let the beet chips turn brown, as they will become bitter. Thinly sliced beets are key to crispy beet chips—use a mandoline, V-slicer, or the slicing disk on a food processor.
1 pound beets, trimmed, peeled, and sliced 1∕16 inch thick
½ teaspoon salt
1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire racks in 2 rimmed baking sheets and spray with vegetable oil spray. Combine beets and salt in colander set over bowl and let drain for 25 minutes. Pat beets dry with paper towels.
2. Arrange beet slices on prepared racks, making sure slices overlap as little as possible. Bake beets until shrunken slightly and crisp throughout, 2 to 3 hours, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let beet chips cool completely before serving (beets will continue to crisp as they cool).
MARINATED BEET SALAD WITH ORANGES AND PECORINO
Serves 4
Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSFor this sweet and savory salad, we enlisted our preferred roasting technique, but with a twist, wrapping the beets together in aluminum foil rather than individually. We then roasted them until they were soft and tender and their skins were ready to slip away. Peeling, cutting into wedges, and tossing the roasted beets in the marinade while they were still warm helped them absorb the potent dressing. Orange segments, shaved Pecorino Romano cheese, and toasted walnuts arranged over the top added layers of complex flavors. To ensure even cooking, look for beets of similar size—2 to 3 inches in diameter. Red or golden beets work equally well in this recipe. Peel the cooked beets over the leftover foil packet to minimize mess. This recipe requires you to refrigerate the marinated beets for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
1 pound beets, trimmed
½ cup water
¼ cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
2 oranges
4 ounces (4 cups) baby arugula
2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, shaved
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 16 by 12-inch piece of aluminum foil on rimmed baking sheet. Arrange beets in center of foil and lift sides of foil to form bowl. Add water to beets and crimp foil tightly to seal. Roast until beets can be easily pierced with paring knife, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Open foil packet to allow steam to escape and let cool slightly.
2. Whisk vinegar, oil, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Once beets are cool enough to handle, rub off skins with paper towels. Halve each beet vertically, then cut into ½-inch-thick wedges and add to bowl with vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
3. Cut away peel and pith from oranges. Holding fruit over small bowl to catch juice and fruit, use paring knife to slice between membranes to release segments. Arrange arugula on serving platter. Spoon beets over arugula and drizzle with remaining dressing from bowl. Arrange orange segments over salad and top with Pecorino and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with extra oil and serve.
VARIATIONS
Marinated Beet Salad with Pear and Feta
Substitute 1 halved, cored, and thinly sliced pear for oranges; ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese for Pecorino; and 2 tablespoons toasted pistachios for walnuts.
Marinated Beet Salad with Raspberries and Blue Cheese
Substitute ⅔ cup raspberries for oranges, ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese for Pecorino, and skinned toasted hazelnuts for walnuts.
CHARRED BEET SALAD
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSThis charred salad reinvents and reinvigorates the pairing of creamy, salty goat cheese and earthy, sweet beets. After roasting foil-wrapped beets, we sliced and quickly charred them on the stovetop. This step essentially burned some of the sugar, adding pleasantly complementary bitterness. We amplified that with crisp radicchio and tossed it all with a dressing made from the beet cooking liquid. A simple spread of feta and Greek yogurt replaced the goat cheese. A final flourish of tart pomegranate seeds provided pops of bright acidity (and stayed on message with the ruby color scheme). Be sure to scrub the beets clean before roasting, as the roasting liquid forms the basis of the dressing.
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1½ pounds beets, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 ounces radicchio, cut into 2-inch pieces
½ cup pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh tarragon
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Combine feta and ¼ cup yogurt in small bowl and mash to form coarse spread; refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Toss beets, olive oil, water, vinegar, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl to combine. Stack two 16 by 12-inch pieces of aluminum foil on prepared rack. Arrange beets in center of foil and lift sides of foil to form bowl. Pour liquid over top and crimp foil tightly to seal.
3. Bake until beets can be easily pierced with paring knife, 1 to 1½ hours for small beets and 1½ to 2½ hours for medium to large beets. Open foil packet and set beets aside, then pour cooking liquid into large bowl (you should have about ½ cup). Whisk remaining ¼ cup yogurt into beet cooking liquid until smooth; set aside. Once beets are cool enough to handle, rub off skins with paper towels and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds.
4. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Arrange beets in skillet in single layer and cook until both sides are well charred, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and cut into 1½-inch pieces, then add to bowl with yogurt-beet dressing.
5. Add radicchio to bowl with beets and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread yogurt-feta mixture in even layer on large serving plate. Arrange beets and radicchio over top, then sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, dill, and tarragon. Serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSWith their dense texture, beets are an excellent candidate for spiralizing into vegetable “noodles.” Adding carrots made this salad even more visually stunning. The noodles’ crisp-tender texture was a perfect foil for the creamy, nutty, sweet-and-savory dressing. Tasters loved the contrast of flavors and textures. For the best noodles, use beets at least 1½ inches in diameter and carrots at least ¾ inch across at the thinnest end and 1½ inches across at the thickest end. We prefer to spiralize our own vegetables, but you can substitute store-bought spiralized raw beets and carrots, though they tend to be drier and less flavorful. You can use smooth or chunky almond or peanut butter in this recipe.
DRESSING
¼ cup almond or peanut butter
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ cup hot water
NOODLES
1 pound beets, trimmed and peeled
1 pound carrots, peeled
5 scallions, sliced thin on bias
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Lime wedges
1. For the dressing Whisk almond butter, tahini, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger garlic, and oil together in large bowl until well combined. Whisking constantly, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dressing has consistency of heavy cream (you may not need all of water). Set aside.
2. For the noodles Using spiralizer, cut beets and carrots into ⅛-inch-thick noodles; then cut beet and carrot noodles into 6-inch lengths.
3. Add beet and carrot noodles and scallions to dressing and toss well to combine. Sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges.
BEET AND WHEAT BERRY SOUP WITH DILL CREAM
Serves 6
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSFor a lighter, fresher version of too-often-heavy borscht, a version that truly focused on the beets, we used vegetable broth and swapped out starchy potatoes for wheat berries. Toasting the wheat berries gave them a rich, nutty flavor and a pleasant chewy consistency in the soup. To build a flavorful backbone, we sautéed onion, garlic, thyme, and tomato paste before stirring in the broth. Red wine vinegar, red cabbage, and a pinch of cayenne helped to round out the flavor of the beets as well. A dollop of dill-flecked sour cream to finish added tang. You can use the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disk to shred the beets and carrot. Do not use presteamed or quick-cooking wheat berries here, as they have a much shorter cooking time; be prepared to read the package carefully to determine what kind of wheat berries you are using.
DILL CREAM
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup minced fresh dill
½ teaspoon salt
SOUP
⅔ cup wheat berries, rinsed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1½ cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 pound beets, trimmed, peeled, and shredded
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1. For the dill cream Combine all ingredients in bowl; set aside until ready to serve.
2. For the soup Toast wheat berries in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to darken, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl.
3. Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and cayenne and cook until fragrant and darkened slightly, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in toasted wheat berries, broth, water, cabbage, beets, carrot, bay leaf, and ¾ teaspoon pepper, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until wheat berries are tender but still chewy and vegetables are tender, 45 minutes to 1¼ hours.
5. Off heat, discard bay leaf and stir in vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing dill cream separately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSVegetarian or vegan burgers are often bean-based, but why not include beets? They bring both a lighter texture and a sweet-earthy flavor to the pinto beans. We added heft with bulgur and used ground nuts to provide meaty richness. Garlic and mustard deepened the savory flavors. While the bulgur cooked, we pulsed the other ingredients in the food processor. To bind the burgers, we found a surprising ingredient: carrot baby food. This added the necessary tackiness, and its subtle sweetness heightened that of the shredded beets; plus, it was already conveniently pureed. Panko bread crumbs further bound the mixture and helped the patties sear up with a crisp crust. When shopping, don’t confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which has a much longer cooking time and will not work here. Use the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disk to shred the beets. Serve with your favorite burger fixings.
Salt and pepper
⅔ cup medium-grind bulgur, rinsed
1 large beet (9 ounces), trimmed, peeled, and shredded
¾ cup walnuts
½ cup fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
1 (4-ounce) jar carrot baby food
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
8 burger buns
1. Bring 1½ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan. Off heat, stir in bulgur, cover, and let stand until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain bulgur, spread onto rimmed baking sheet, and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, pulse beet, walnuts, basil, and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, about 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add beans, baby food, 2 tablespoons water, mustard, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and pulse until well combined, about 8 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in panko and cooled bulgur.
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Divide beet mixture into 8 equal portions and pack into 3½-inch-diameter patties.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Gently lay 4 patties in skillet and cook until crisp and well browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, adding extra oil if skillet looks dry.
5. Transfer burgers to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and remaining 4 patties. Transfer to buns and serve.
BEET AND BARLEY RISOTTO
Serves 6
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSHearty pearl barley holds its own against the sweet earthiness of beets and their sturdy greens. Pearl barley has had its outer husk removed, exposing the starchy interior, which helps create a velvety sauce when simmered. We stirred raw grated beets into the barley—half at the beginning for a base of flavor, and half at the end for freshness and color. Do not substitute hulled, hull-less, quick- cooking, or presteamed barley for the pearl barley. You can use the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding disk to shred the beets.
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound beets with greens attached, beets trimmed, peeled, and shredded, greens stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1½ cups pearl barley, rinsed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 cup dry white wine
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Bring broth and water to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to lowest setting and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of grated beets, onion, and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in barley and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook until fully absorbed, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in 3 cups warm broth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is dry, 22 to 25 minutes. Stir in 2 cups warm broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is dry, 15 to 18 minutes.
4. Add beet greens and continue to cook, stirring often and adding remaining broth as needed to prevent pan bottom from becoming dry, until greens are softened and barley is cooked through but still somewhat firm in center, 5 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining grated beets and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with parsley. Serve.
RED FLANNEL HASH
Serves 4
Total time: 45 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKSRed flannel hash gets its name from the beets that are included; this version adds sweet potatoes to the usual russets to amplify the sweetness of the beets. To speed things up, we parcooked the potatoes and beets in the microwave until tender and then moved them to the skillet to brown and crisp. Onion, garlic, chili powder, and a dash of hot sauce gave the hash backbone, and heavy cream brought richness. To make this a hearty meal, we poached eight eggs right in the hash. If you notice that the potato-beet mixture isn’t getting brown in step 3, turn up the heat (but don’t let it burn). Note that the beets will not brown like the potatoes; they will burn if the pan gets too dry. You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.
8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
8 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
8 ounces beets, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon chili powder
⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
8 large eggs
1. Microwave russets, sweet potatoes, beets, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in covered bowl until potatoes are translucent around edges, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic, thyme, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in hot potato mixture, cream, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Using back of spatula, gently pack beet-potato mixture into pan and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip hash, 1 portion at a time, and lightly repack into pan. Repeat flipping process every few minutes until mixture is nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Off heat, make 4 shallow indentations (about 2 inches wide) in surface of hash using back of spoon. Crack 2 eggs into each indentation and season eggs with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until egg whites are just set and yolks are still runny, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.
