Remember the leaves and stalks from your beets bush you always overlooked? Yes, they make tasty meals, and you should try them out. Most people usually cut off the greens that come with the beets.
However, you should know that both the bulbous roots and the beet greens are edible.
If you have never heard of cooking with beet greens, you have landed on the right page. Perhaps you have heard about it, but you don’t know what exactly you can make with the greens, you’re also in good hands.
Continue reading to see what you can do with beet greens from your vegetable garden or the stores. Once you try any of these, you won’t throw them away again.
What are beet greens?
Beet greens include the stems and leaves of beets. These stems and leaves are just as edible as bulbous roots.
The greens taste something like swiss chard but are a little sweeter. This makes them great substitutes for each other.
In addition, the greens are tender and have a mild flavor. They are rich in fiber, antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin A.
What can you do with beet greens?
1. Sautéed beets greens
One of the many ways to cook beet greens is to sauté them. To sauté beet greens, you don’t necessarily have to slice the leaves into bits, you can tear or chop them into bite sizes. Start with cooking the stems with minced garlic in hot oil (a few tablespoons).
Then, add the greens, seasonings, and spices. Stir or toss the beet greens until they are wilted. Serve sauteed beet greens as they are or with golden raisins and roasted walnuts.
You can also serve sauteed beet greens with a slice of lemon or even squeeze in the juice while cooking to bring out the flavor of the greens.
2. A bowl of beet greens soup
If you love to experiment with your bowels, you should have this recipe somewhere. It is a detox soup that cleanses your body of toxins. Additionally, it is chock full of nutrients that your body needs.
For this recipe, you’ll need olive oil, avocados, beans, lime juice, broccoli, parsley, and of course the greens from the beets.
Start with stir-frying some onions, then add the seasonings, spices, stock, and other ingredients. Use the stock to regulate the thickness of your soup.
Cook until the leaves become tender. Then, blend to a puree. Serve hot.
3. Make beet greens smoothie
How about not cooking beet greens? Put the greens to work and make yourself a glass of green smoothie.
Blend the stems and leaves with other fruits like berries, avocados, and bananas. When you have a smooth blend, serve it with ice cubes on a hot afternoon.
4. Ferment the beets greens
Preserve excess beet greens by fermenting them. Chop the leaves into bits and add salt. Use your hands to evenly distribute the salt and squeeze the beet greens until they are limp. Make sure you squeeze out enough juice from the greens.
Afterward, pack the contents of the bowl into a glass jar. Make sure the juice covers the leaves well. Top it with a fermentation weight to fully immerse the leaves into the juice. Seal the jar tightly and allow it to ferment for up to 10 days at room temperature.
5. Beets green powder
Preserve excess beet greens by making them into powder. You’re not cooking the leaves, so you’ll have to dry them first.
Use a dehydrator to dry the greens for about 8 hours. Then, blend the leaves into a powder and store it properly. Add the beet greens powder to smoothies and soups.
6. Bake crispy beets greens chips
Make a snack of fresh beet greens by baking them into crispy chips. Drizzle olive oil over the washed greens in a bowl and use your hands to make sure the oil spreads evenly.
Afterward, sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other seasoning over the leaves. Bake until they are crisp. You can have this as a midday snack, late-night snack, and even something to keep the kids busy.
7. Beet greens salad
Make a healthy bowl of salad with the greens from beets. You’ll need the beet greens, Honeycrisp, walnuts, feta cheese (crumbled), vinegar, cloves (ground), black pepper, garlic powder, Himalayan Sea salt, and some baked beets.
Gather all the ingredients together in a bowl. Thereafter, drizzle salad dressing over them and serve.
8. Stir fry beet greens
If you love to stir-fry the stems of swiss chard, you will want to try this out. Moreover, the stems of beet greens are tastier than that of swiss chard.
Stir-fry the stems in a pan of hot oil. Eat as it is or serve as a side dish or quick lunch.
9. Beets green pickles
You can make beet greens pickles to eat later as a snack or side dish. It also helps to preserve the leaves for a longer period.
Pickle the leaves and stems with ginger, vinegar, kosher salt, and sugar. After making your pickles, seal the container tightly, and always remember how long it’s been in the fridge.
10. Cook with bacon
Make a complete meal with beet greens. Cooking the greens with bacon makes a satisfying meal.
Sauté the dish with onions, garlic, sugar, and pepper flakes. Then, add the beet greens and vinegar. Leave the leaves to cook until they are tender enough.
11. Boiled beet greens
If you want nothing complex, just a simple dish for your meals, boil beet greens with salt and serve. If you want to eat them as they are, you can add little pepper for a kick of heat.
12. Make braised beets greens
Braising is not only simple, but it is also a quick method of turning beet greens into meals. To braise beet greens, remove the stem and thick center rib from the leaves.
Cook the stems and leaves with olive oil, chopped onions, garlic, and seasoning in a skillet. You may also add some roasted beets. Cook everything until the leaves and stems are tender, then, serve.
13. Prepare beets greens borani
After making beet greens smoothies, you should try beet greens borani. Stir-fry chopped beet greens with salt, minced garlic, and olive oil over low-medium heat. Set it aside to cool.
In a small bowl, mix the cooked leaves with yogurt, roasted beets, lemon zest, and fruit juice. Serve chilled with walnuts as toppings.
14. Beets greens bruschetta
Broil oil-brushed baguettes in the oven until they look golden and toasted. Also, sauté the greens with minced garlic so that they become very tender.
Serve the greens on the toasted baguettes for breakfast or a quick meal.
15. Cook beets greens with noodles
You shouldn’t always eat your noodles the same way. If you have a growing bush of beetroot, cut a few leaves to garnish your noodles.
Add in the leaves after the noodles and leave them to cook until the greens wilt and are tender. Moreover, beet greens with noodles work as a detox meal.
16. Use beet greens as wraps
If you’re eating vegan, you can use beet greens as wraps for fillings like hummus and mashed beets. You can serve this at any time of the day for lunch or a quick meal.
Are beets greens leftovers still good?
Yes, they are. If you store leftover fresh or cooked beet greens, you can keep them for a few more days or even weeks.
Raw beet greens can stay fresh in the refrigerator for three to five days. Make sure you do not wash the greens before you refrigerate them.
Freeze the greens to keep them longer. Frozen beet greens can last up to twelve months and even more, under proper storage conditions.
Refrigerate cooked beet greens leftovers to keep them fresh and edible for up to one week. You can also freeze cooked beet greens in heavy-duty freezer bags or airtight containers to extend their shelf life.
FAQs
Is it healthy to eat raw beet greens?
You can eat beet greens either raw or cooked, as long as you do not overcook the greens.
Do beet greens go bad?
Yes, they do. Just like other vegetables, beet greens are perishable. After harvesting, store excess beet greens in the refrigerator or freezer.
Can you freeze beet greens?
Yes, you can. If you want to freeze your greens for future use, blanch them first. Blanching helps to stop any enzymatic activity that can lead to spoilage with this. It also helps to retain nutrients and keep the greens looking attractive.
After blanching beet greens, cool them in ice water and gather them into a freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as you can before you seal the bag. Then, keep the bag in the freezer.
Are beets greens better than kale?
Beet greens taste better than kale. Kale is 5.8 times less sweet than beet greens. Moreover, beet greens are healthier than kale.
Conclusion
You may be shocked to hear that nothing from the beet plant is a waste (I was when I found out). The leaves are not only edible, but they also make delicious meals by themselves or cooked with other ingredients.
When next you’re harvesting the beetroots, get an extra bowl for the leaves. Use any of the recipes in this article to make healthy meals for you and your family.
Also, read this article on a comparison of beets and radishes. It’ll help you tell them apart when next you’re in the market.
Thanks for reading.