In my opinion nature’s bounty of beautiful, nutritious vegetables is completely underrated. And beets are a perfect example of this. They brighten up any meal with their gorgeous earthy reddish-purple color and are highly nutritious to boot.
We eat beets in my house about once a week (our fave veggies are kale and broccoli, not a day goes by without those brassicas at our table, in fact tonight we’re having both, along with this grilled lemon chicken dish). So, back to beets. This root vegetable is thought to have nutrients that contain both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The nutrients in beets are also thought to assist in detoxification. That’s not why we eat beets though, we just like ’em. They’re delicious and super easy to prepare!
Roasted Balsamic Beets
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium beets
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
Instructions
- Wash beets, scrubbing well to remove any dirt
- Cut beets into 4 to 6 wedges
- Place beets in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Drizzle vinegar, oil and salt on top of beets
- Cook at 375°F for one hour (covered), then 15 minutes (uncovered), until almost fork tender
- Serve
The variety of beets pictured above are not the norm in color when it comes to beets. Most beets found in the grocery or health food store, are a nice purplish red through and through. These just happen to be a variety I picked up (and cooked and photographed) last summer from the Boulder farmer’s market.
In case you prefer eating your beets in dessert form, here’s a link to my Purple Velvet Torte (made of beets and chocolate). And in case you haven’t had your fill of plain old chocolate, check out my Easy Black and White Cake.
In Ayurveda, beets are said to be healing to the Vata and Kapha doshas. They are tolerated by Pitta best when cooked.
Here are some more gluten free recipes using beets:
-Beet & Spinach Salad from Gluten Free for Good
–Sauteed Beets from Deliciously Organic
–Orange Glazed Beets CrockPot Recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking
Jo says
Hi Elana, Still wondering if you peel the beets before roasting or not? thanks! Jo
dominica says
i’m pretty sure the skin stays on, if you look at her photo above the skin is on, she just says to wash and scrub — i eat beets raw all the time with the skin, they’re great!
Jo says
thanks! So I guess once the skins are roasted they too are edible? can’t wait to try them.
Alta says
I didn’t grow up liking beets (probably because I’d only tried them canned – blech), but once I tried roasting them, I changed my mind. They caramelize a bit, intensifying their sweetness. And balsamic is a perfect addition – it balances the richness and earthiness of the beets. Now I’m craving beets…darn it!
kathleen says
thanks for another healthy and simple way to get more beets into my life!
Meagan says
These beets look fantastic Elana. I have yet to try your balsamic chicken (which I hear is divine). If I made these together it would definitely be a balsamic meal!!
Gluten Free Diva says
Beets are amazingly sweet, aren’t they? And they make a great addition to my green smoothie!!
Elizabeth says
Delicious! I’ve always loved beets but had never made them before. Duh! Your recipe inspired me to give it a try… absolutely perfect!
Katie says
I’ve really enjoyed your Ayurveda bits thoughout your posts. I haven’t yet sat down with a book to understand exactly how it works, but when I bump into it I’m always fascinated. I very strongly believe that food can and should be viewed almost like a drug. Food, drugs, they are all just chemicals and as such have a powerful affect on our bodies. I always have preferred food over drugs to accomplish something in my body, and I like they idea of an entire medical system based on our bodies reactions to food.
Suzette says
This has always been my favorite way to prepare beets to bring out their natural sweetness but add that tang of the balsamic. Delish! Love the goat cheese idea… I think that would be awesome, especially on a salad. I always cook more than what I need and keep them in the fridge for a healthy, sweet, nutritious snack. As with most of my veggies, I give them a good scrub but always leave the skin on to retain their maximum nutrient value.
Dani @ Body By Nature says
I love beets! I actually roasted a bunch this past weekend for the first time and am going to have them in salad for lunch with spinach, goat cheese, walnuts, white beans and sunflower sprouts!