It’s not too early to enjoy the harvest from a backyard vegetable garden or the beautiful bounty of locally grown produce you found at the farmer’s market. While many gardeners (professional and otherwise) are just beginning to ready the earth for the summer season, there’s a variety of scrumptious spring vegetables ready to be plucked and enjoyed. You may have an assortment of recipes for peas, spinach, and lettuce, but have you tried your hand at beets? Whether you’ve grown your own, or you’ve got plans to pick something up at the market, the following allergy-friendly beet recipes are worth trying.
Benefits of Beets
If you’re not already a beet aficionado, these recipes may change your mind. Before we dive into them, however, let’s talk about the benefits of beets. These roots have more to offer than their beautiful color. They are packed with fiber, folate, manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. If that doesn’t have you convinced, some research has indicated that beet juice, as an example, can help boost stamina, improve blood flow, and help lower blood pressure.
Go Red…or Gold
Both traditional red and gold beets can be scrumptious simply sauteed in a pan with a little olive oil and garlic. Don’t forget to add in the beet green, too! They are just as delicious as the beet itself and the whole dish will be a plateful of vitamin C. It’s simple. It’s quick. It’s amazing. Try it!
Nothing “Beets” These Noodles
Groan-worthy pun aside, beet noodles can be a simple, yet delicious meal or a unique side dish. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they’re a treat to eat. You’ll find a variety of recipes for them that include a roasted balsamic version like this one from Mealthy.com and this ginger seasoned version shared by Food Network.
Drink It Up!
Beets can be a delightful, healthy addition to your morning smoothie. Try this quick recipe as an example: combine a banana, 1 peeled carrot, 1 peeled beet, a handful of spinach, 1 cup of frozen berries, and 1 teaspoon of chia seeds with a cup of coconut or oat milk. Blend until the mixture is well combined, adding more of your milk substitute as needed to reach the desired consistency.
Decidedly Delicious Hummus
If sesame and chickpeas aren’t on your list of things to avoid, this unique twist on hummus offered up by Love and Lemons is worth trying. Not only does the beet lend a beautiful pink hue to this dip, it also brings a touch of sweetness to your typical hummus. What you dip in it, of course, is up to you – from safe bread options to other vegetables, you’ve got no shortage of options.
Beetastic Desserts
Does beets for dessert sound dubious? It shouldn’t. These beautiful garden treats have a place at the end of your meal. My Goodness Kitchen pulled together an impressive recipe for a wheat-free, egg-free, milk-free chocolate cake using grated beets as a component. Looking for something frozen to top off your summer barbeque? Vegan Heaven offers up a gorgeous purple twist on ice cream using beets and coconut milk (among other things) to create a rich, creamy, sweet frozen treat. For those looking to wrap up their meal with a smaller treat, Steph in Thyme offers a gluten-free chocolate coconut cardamom beet pudding recipe that’s worth exploring.