Beets: A Versatile Veggie to Keep on Hand

Cooking for one, I often cook things that can sustain meals for many days. I try to make vegetables or meats in neutral preparations that can then be incorporated into other dishes in many ways. One of these is beets; I love beets because they’re extremely versatile. Roast them ahead of time, and you have a veggie that you can throw into many different dishes.

If you’ve never roasted beets, it’s pretty easy — I’m of the “wash, rub in olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast for 30 to 60 minutes (roast until a knife goes right in) in a 375 degree oven” camp. There are other ways, but this is my way. Once they’re roasted and have cooled for about an hour (till the point where you can handle them comfortably), you can cut off the top and bottom, then use a vegetable peeler (or just rub with your hands) to get the skins off. Once that’s done, I like to dice up my beets and keep them in the fridge (they keep for a full week, week and a half), to be used in all kinds of dishes.

Here are just a few I’ve made recently. (Any of these recipes can be made vegan; I’ve included other options instead of cheese where applicable. They are all gluten free too as long as you keep an eye on your ingredients.)

• Beet salad with baby romaine lettuce, crumbled gorgonzola, and balsamic vinaigrette. Easy peasy, this salad is light and satisfying. Make your own vinaigrette by throwing good balsamic, good extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and some fresh herbs (I like rosemary) into a jar and giving them a quick shake to emulsify. No gorgonzola? Replace it with goat cheese, almonds, pine nuts, dried cranberries, or any number of other goodies.
• Beet soup. I took this recipe from Cheeky Kitchen (via Craft) and ran with it. Since I was cooking for one, I cut the recipe in half and still had leftovers. A dollop of crème fraiche, cream cheese, sour cream, or yogurt (soy yogurt too!) adds a nice touch of sour against the sweet and savory of the beet soup.
• Beets in an orange apricot reduction. Combine a cup of orange juice with a quarter cup of apricot jam (marmalade or quince jam will be fine too), in a small sauce pan over low heat. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, and then let it cool for a few minutes. While the reduction is cooling, heat up your diced beets (maybe about two cups). Combine with the reduction for a sweet side dish that’s nice to pair with lamb, beef, or even roast chicken.
• Beet quinoa pilaf. On Saturday, I looked in my fridge to figure out what I should have for lunch. There was leftover quinoa, so I combined the last cup with about 1/3 cup of beets, and crumbled some gorgonzola on top. The nuttiness of the quinoa paired nicely with the crunch and sweetness of the cold beet and bite of the gorgonzola. An easy and healthful lunch, protein from the quinoa, fiber from the beets, a touch of fat and flavor from the gorgonzola. Not eating cheese? Pine nuts are another great alternative. Buy them raw, then when you’re ready to use them, toast a handful in a small frying pan over low heat. Keep them moving as they will burn fast, and as my mother says, as soon as you smell their fragrance, take them off the heat and turn off the stove. Toss them into your pilaf for a rich Mediterranean flavor.
• Beets with avocados. At Provence en Boîte, a French Bistro in Cobble Hill that I like, they serve a beet salad that’s just gorgeous: a perfectly round tower of red, red beets, topped with diced avocado on top. Make it at home with a cookie cutter as your mold. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve with a dollop of yogurt (or soy yogurt), garlic hummus, or for a spicy take, harissa.

Do you have other suggestions for beets? Share them in the comments!