Beets are known for their vibrant colour and numerous health and beauty benefits. Roasting beets are the best way to cook beets and there are plenty of healthy roasted beets recipes you can try out.
Ever since a friend of mine introduced me to beets I have fallen in love with this delicious root. It’s nutritious, healthy, and very easy to prepare to make a balanced meal. I love to experiment with new recipes I get and so far am loving every bite. There are very many simple ways of preparing beets that don’t require a lot of work. The best part about beets is that I can also eat them raw.
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How do you know the beets are cooked?
It’s hard to figure out how long it takes to cook your beets to achieve the right firmness and texture. This mostly depends on a few things like the size and weight of the beets. Small beets take less time to cook like half an hour while large beets take about an hour to cook. Another thing is how fresh the beets are. It takes less time to cook fresh beets than older ones because old beets tend to lose their tenderness. The last thing is if you’ve put other foods in the oven together with the beets. This can interfere with the moisture and the cooking time depending on what else you’re cooking.
How to store cooked beets
You can put your cooked beets in the fridge or freeze them to increase their shelf life. If you decide to refrigerate put them in an airtight container and they will last for 3-5 days but if you properly freeze them they can last for 10-12 months. If you leave cooked beets in room temperature they will attract bacteria because of their moisture.
Healthy roasted beets recipes
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Recipe # 1
Ingredients
- 2 medium garlic cloves pressed
- 2 small yellow onions
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp. roughly crushed walnuts
- 6 small beets
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Black pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 200o C or 400O F.
Wash the beets thoroughly and put them in a large baking dish that you can arrange the beets and onions without crowding them. If the onions are big cut them in half but if small and leave the skin on.
Cover and roast for 55 minutes while stirring occasionally till a sharp knife can cut through the beets easily. Remove from the oven.
Let them cool then peel and cut into small pieces you can eat.
Mix in the garlic, crushed walnuts, vinegar, and olive oil and add salt and black pepper to taste.
Finally, add parsley and serve.
Recipe #2
Ingredients
- 5 medium beets
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- Salt to taste
Method
Preheat your oven to 425o F and get a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash the beets with a vegetable scrubber and remove the root and stem ends. Peel the beets with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Dice the beets and place them in a bowl.
Pour some olive oil on the beets and mix them to coat.
Place the beets individually in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast the beets for 10-15 minutes till they are tender and you can pass a fork through.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle some salt then serve.
Recipe #3
Ingredients
- 12 beets
- Juice from a large orange
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp. fresh minced thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 400o C.
Remove the stem and roots on the beets and peel them with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Cut the small beets in half, medium beets into quarters, and the large beets into eighths.
Place the beets on the baking sheet and add the thyme leaves, olive oil, pepper, and salt.
Roast for 35-40 minutes till tender and occasionally turn them the other side.
Remove from the oven then add the orange juice and vinegar. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste then serve.
Make a scrumptious meal using beetroot
Roasted beets are very delicious and healthy to add to your diet. They also make an ideal balanced meal that is full of nutrients. Roasting beets are the best way of cooking beets because you get to try out many healthy roasted beets recipes. Before you cook any beet make sure it’s well cleaned and fresh to avoid having stomach problems later.
FAQ
Are roasted beets fattening?
Adding beets to your diet helps in weight loss, reduce risks of chronic diseases, boost your energy levels, etc. of other health benefits. Beets are rich in vitamins and minerals that add nutrients to your body.
Can you eat the skin of roasted beetroot?
If you have cleaned the beets properly, it’s safe to eat the skin. When you cook beets the skin becomes soft and it’s easy to peel it before you eat.
Are beets good for a low carb diet?
Eating half a cup per serving, beets can be a good addition to your low carb diet. Other veggies you can eat are raw radishes that give you 2g per half cup and 5g of raw jicama per half cup.
How many calories are in a cup of roasted beets?
Beets contain low calories and no fat content. Half a cup of boiled beets contains 37 calories.
Are baked beets healthy?
They are very healthy because they contain lots of nutrients, vitamin C, fiber, and folate. They are also low in calories and very delicious good for a balanced meal.
