The taproot section of a beet plant is called beetroot or golden beet in British English. In North America, beets are typically referred to as beets, but vegetables are also called table beets, garden beets, red beets, dinner beets, and golden beets.
It belongs to the B. vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris Conditiva Group, which is cultivated Beta vulgaris variants developed for their culinary taproots and leaves, sometimes known as beetroot greens.
Additional varieties of the same species include the fodder crop mangelwurzel, the leafy vegetable known as spinach beetroot or chard, and sugar beetroot. Usually, three subspecies are identified.
The appearance of an allele that permits the biennial harvesting of taproot and leaves is responsible for the domestication of beetroot. Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans were among the people who farmed beetroot in the ancient Middle East, mostly for their greens. It is believed that they were also grown for their roots by the time of the Romans.
Beetroot was used to treat a variety of ailments starting in the Middle Ages, including blood and digestive disorders. According to Bartolomeo Platina, garlic breath can be counteracted by ingesting beetroot along with it.
Find the best beet recipes here, ranging from easy pickled beets to refreshing borscht, roasted beet salads, and an unexpected beet cake. Select your favourite for this year!
9 Beet Dishes To Taste
1. Aguachile Beet
You can definitely use beetroot juice to make a vibrant, spicy broth for this magnificent beetroot agua chile, which one can refer to as 'Vampiro' agua chile because of its deep purple-red colour and addition of black garlic. Lime juice's acidity is counteracted by the sweetness of orange juice and the distinct, stinky flavour of black garlic.
2. Buttermilk Borscht With Grated Cucumber
This chilled beet soup is vibrant and earthy and makes no need to turn on the burner because it's packed with fresh summer herbs. Grated beets are rapidly marinated in a brine of pickled juice to temper their earthiness, then combined with grated cucumber and buttermilk for a crisp, refreshing bite.
3. Mint-infused Beetroot And Blood Orange Salad
You can use ground sumac, a tart Middle Eastern spice, to flavour the dressing of this cool salad, giving it a Palestinian flair. Any type of beet, from classic red to the white-and-pink striped Chioggia, will taste great, but the colour of golden beets contrasts wonderfully with dark red blood orange slices.
4. Salad With Beets And Red Sorrel With Pistachios
The leafy green vegetable sorrel lends an acidic, even sour, taste to food. You can use red ribbon sorrel, a European kind with vivid red veins and bright green leaves, for this salad because it looks so gorgeous with the beets, and its tartness complements the nutty pistachio sauce so well.
5. Beets Roasted In Red Wine With Tahini Yoghurt
These wine-cooked beets are seasoned with tart sumac, sharp peppercorns, and herbal, yet somewhat sweet, green cardamom. The result is a vibrant taste that balances the recipe's delicious red wine without being overbearing. Once roasted, the delicate and sweet beets are topped with a creamy yoghurt sauce flavoured with tahini and turmeric and garnished with chopped pistachios, an abundance of herbs, and additional sumac.
6. Carrot-Beet Slaw Paired With Crispy Labneh
This vibrantly coloured salad combines sweet, tangy labneh with freshly shredded carrots and beets. Use a food processor with a grating attachment to quickly shred the vegetables. For added colour, use rainbow carrots or Chioggia with swirls of pink and white in place of red beets.
7. Roasted Legumes And Beetroot Prep
The combination of lentils and red beets gives this vibrantly coloured dip a tonne of fibre. Most grocery stores have canned lentils, which are a fantastic substitute for the always well-liked chickpea. Just make sure that before using them, you thoroughly drain and rinse them to get rid of any excess sodium.
8. Goat Cheese And Greens With Roasted Beets
This is one amazing side dish that cooks much faster than oven-roasting beets. You can use the beet greens, but you may use 2 cups of other greens, such as Swiss chard or kale if you get beets without tops. Serve over tender pieces of grilled flank or skirt steak to turn this into a meal.
9. Apple-Carrot-Beet Juice
Vitamins C and K are also in good amounts in this ruby red juice. Additionally, it has beta-carotene, which the body uses to convert to vitamin A and is beneficial for skin and night vision. For the greatest nutritional impact, make sure you consume your juice as soon as possible after it is prepared. Chia seeds are a good way to replenish the fibre that is lost during the juicing process.
One of the most overlooked root vegetables is beets. They're generally disregarded due to their earthy, bitter flavour, which makes them so unique. When combined with tart and vibrant flavours or baked until soft and somewhat sweet, they really come to life. Now, try your favourite dish!