7 Easy Beetroot Recipes That Will Change How You Eat This Vegetable
Beetroot often gets pushed into the salad category, where it is usually grated, sliced or boiled and served with a dressing. While that can be delicious, this colourful root vegetable has far more to offer. It can be roasted until sweet and tender, blended into a smooth soup, cooked with spices or turned into a filling vegetarian dish.
Its deep colour and naturally earthy sweetness make beetroot particularly useful in the kitchen. It also absorbs seasonings well, which means the same vegetable can taste completely different depending on how you cook it.
If you have a few beetroot sitting in your kitchen and want to try something beyond a basic salad, these seven cooking ideas can help you make it the star of the meal.
Wash and peel the beetroot before cutting it into wedges or chunks. Toss the pieces with olive oil, garlic, salt and herbs such as thyme or rosemary. Roast until tender, turning them once during cooking.
The finished beetroot can be served with warm bread, grains or roasted vegetables. A little lemon juice or crumbled cheese can add a fresh contrast to its earthy flavour.
Cook chopped beetroot with onion, garlic and stock until everything is tender. Blend until smooth, then add seasoning and a little cream or yoghurt if you want a richer texture.
For extra flavour, try adding ginger, black pepper or a squeeze of lemon. The result is warming and comforting during colder months, while a chilled version can work beautifully in warmer weather.
Cook the beetroot slowly until tender and allow the spices to coat each piece. Coconut milk can be added for a creamy version, while tomatoes can create a lighter, tangier sauce.
Serve it with steamed rice or flatbreads. The sweetness of beetroot creates an interesting contrast with chilli and warming spices.
Cook the fritters in a lightly oiled frying pan until both sides become golden and crisp. The outside develops a pleasant texture while the beetroot inside remains soft.
Serve them with yoghurt, garlic sauce or a simple dip. They can work as a light lunch, appetiser or vegetarian dinner when paired with a fresh side dish.
Roast or lightly cook the beetroot first, then arrange it over pastry with crumbled feta. Add herbs and a little seasoning before baking until the pastry is golden.
The combination of sweet beetroot, salty cheese and buttery pastry makes this an excellent option for lunch or a simple dinner. It can also be served at room temperature, making it useful for picnics and gatherings.
Cook small pieces of beetroot with spices, chilli and grated coconut. Depending on the recipe, mustard seeds, curry leaves or cumin can be added for extra depth.
The coconut brings a gentle richness that balances the earthy sweetness of the beetroot. Serve it with rice and other vegetable dishes for a colourful meal.
The result has a striking pink or purple colour, making an ordinary bowl of pasta look completely different. The earthy flavour of the beetroot can be balanced with lemon, herbs and cheese.
Toss the sauce through hot pasta and finish with toasted nuts or seeds for some crunch. It is an easy way to introduce more vegetables into a familiar meal.
When buying fresh beetroot, look for firm roots without obvious soft spots. Smaller beetroot can sometimes cook more quickly and have a particularly pleasant texture.
Beetroot can also be messy to prepare because its natural pigment stains hands and surfaces. Wearing gloves and using a chopping board that is easy to clean can make preparation simpler.
Whether you roast it with herbs, simmer it in a curry, turn it into fritters or blend it into a pasta sauce, there are plenty of ways to make beetroot the main attraction.
The next time you buy beetroot, try choosing a cooking method you have never used before. You may discover that this earthy root vegetable can be much more exciting than its usual place on the salad plate suggests.
Its deep colour and naturally earthy sweetness make beetroot particularly useful in the kitchen. It also absorbs seasonings well, which means the same vegetable can taste completely different depending on how you cook it.
If you have a few beetroot sitting in your kitchen and want to try something beyond a basic salad, these seven cooking ideas can help you make it the star of the meal.
1. Roast Beetroot With Garlic and Herbs
Roasting is one of the easiest ways to bring out the natural sweetness of beetroot. The dry heat concentrates its flavour and gives the edges a slightly caramelised texture.Wash and peel the beetroot before cutting it into wedges or chunks. Toss the pieces with olive oil, garlic, salt and herbs such as thyme or rosemary. Roast until tender, turning them once during cooking.
The finished beetroot can be served with warm bread, grains or roasted vegetables. A little lemon juice or crumbled cheese can add a fresh contrast to its earthy flavour.
2. Make a Creamy Beetroot Soup
Beetroot works surprisingly well in soup. Its colour gives the finished dish a vibrant appearance, while its natural sweetness provides a pleasant base.Cook chopped beetroot with onion, garlic and stock until everything is tender. Blend until smooth, then add seasoning and a little cream or yoghurt if you want a richer texture.
For extra flavour, try adding ginger, black pepper or a squeeze of lemon. The result is warming and comforting during colder months, while a chilled version can work beautifully in warmer weather.
3. Try Beetroot Curry
Beetroot can take on spices particularly well, making it an excellent ingredient for curry. A simple beetroot curry can combine diced beetroot with onion, garlic, ginger and spices such as cumin, turmeric and coriander.Cook the beetroot slowly until tender and allow the spices to coat each piece. Coconut milk can be added for a creamy version, while tomatoes can create a lighter, tangier sauce.
Serve it with steamed rice or flatbreads. The sweetness of beetroot creates an interesting contrast with chilli and warming spices.
4. Turn Beetroot Into Crispy Fritters
Grated beetroot can be transformed into crispy fritters with only a handful of ingredients. Combine it with flour or breadcrumbs, an egg and seasonings before shaping the mixture into small patties.Cook the fritters in a lightly oiled frying pan until both sides become golden and crisp. The outside develops a pleasant texture while the beetroot inside remains soft.
Serve them with yoghurt, garlic sauce or a simple dip. They can work as a light lunch, appetiser or vegetarian dinner when paired with a fresh side dish.
5. Bake a Beetroot and Feta Tart
The earthy flavour of beetroot pairs beautifully with salty feta and crisp pastry. A beetroot tart can make an impressive meal without requiring complicated cooking techniques.Roast or lightly cook the beetroot first, then arrange it over pastry with crumbled feta. Add herbs and a little seasoning before baking until the pastry is golden.
The combination of sweet beetroot, salty cheese and buttery pastry makes this an excellent option for lunch or a simple dinner. It can also be served at room temperature, making it useful for picnics and gatherings.
6. Cook Beetroot With Coconut
For something a little different, try cooking beetroot with coconut and aromatic spices. This style of preparation is popular in parts of South Asian cooking and can turn the vegetable into a fragrant side or vegetarian main dish.Cook small pieces of beetroot with spices, chilli and grated coconut. Depending on the recipe, mustard seeds, curry leaves or cumin can be added for extra depth.
The coconut brings a gentle richness that balances the earthy sweetness of the beetroot. Serve it with rice and other vegetable dishes for a colourful meal.
7. Make Beetroot Pasta Sauce
Beetroot can also be used to create a colourful pasta sauce. Cooked beetroot can be blended with ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and soft cheese to create a smooth sauce.The result has a striking pink or purple colour, making an ordinary bowl of pasta look completely different. The earthy flavour of the beetroot can be balanced with lemon, herbs and cheese.
Toss the sauce through hot pasta and finish with toasted nuts or seeds for some crunch. It is an easy way to introduce more vegetables into a familiar meal.
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How to Get the Best Flavour From Beetroot
The cooking method you choose can completely change the character of beetroot. Roasting makes it sweeter and more concentrated, while boiling creates a softer and milder result. Spices can bring out its savoury side, while citrus and yoghurt can balance its earthy flavour.When buying fresh beetroot, look for firm roots without obvious soft spots. Smaller beetroot can sometimes cook more quickly and have a particularly pleasant texture.
Beetroot can also be messy to prepare because its natural pigment stains hands and surfaces. Wearing gloves and using a chopping board that is easy to clean can make preparation simpler.
A Vegetable Worth Exploring
Beetroot deserves more attention than simply being added to a salad. Its sweetness, colour and ability to absorb different flavours make it one of the more versatile root vegetables.Whether you roast it with herbs, simmer it in a curry, turn it into fritters or blend it into a pasta sauce, there are plenty of ways to make beetroot the main attraction.
The next time you buy beetroot, try choosing a cooking method you have never used before. You may discover that this earthy root vegetable can be much more exciting than its usual place on the salad plate suggests.
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