How To Cook Beets: Simple and Easy Roasting

Ever wonder how to cook beets? Feeling a little intimidated? It’s easy, I promise.

Simple and easy roasted beets are a wonderful addition to any meal for any season.  If you’re trying to have a healthier holiday, these also a stunning bit of color for your holiday meals.

When done just right, the earthy flavor that beets are so famous for, disappears and instead tastes a bit like candy.  Not kidding!  Even my toddler eats them (and all her veggies, here’s how I managed that mom win)

I was not always a beet lover. In fact, I had them once as a kid and disliked them so much, at that time, that I had a legitimate fear of eating them. It wasn’t until moving to Finland and having dinner with my husband’s family (and not wanting to seem rude or picky) that I finally gave them another try.

Much to my surprise, I loved them. I immediately did all kinds of research and testing to try and duplicate whatever they did to get them to taste SO GOOD. His family did tell me, but I confess I didn’t believe them.  It seemed to easy…but it really was that easy.

Here in my current neck of the world (currently: Finland), they even frequently serve them alongside burgers instead of fries. This will definitely be on those cultural things I will happily adopt and take back with us when we move home.

Health Benefits Of Beets

There are a lot of great reasons to eat beets.  As a former beet hater I can tell you I feel the effects of the nutritional goodness when I add them into our dinner rotation.

Beets:

• Are Rich In Antioxidants
• Cleanse the Colon
• Rich In Iron
• Cleanse the blood
• Rich In Nitrates
• Strengthen the Gallbladder and Liver

Two Notes Of Caution

1. Beets are high in natural sugars. If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor before increasing your intake of foods that rank high on the glycemic scale.
2. Beets MAY cause urine to turn colors (happens to about 14% of the population). So, if your pee is pink for about 24 hours after eating beets, don’t freak out.  It’s called Beeturia.

Read more about how beets can improve your health!!

How To Cook Beets: The Easy Roasting Method

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beets
• 1/4 tsp (or so, I just get a couple big pinches) of salt
• a large lemon wedge
• 2-3 tsp olive oil

Instructions

• Start by preheating the oven to 200 C/400 F.
• Peel your beets; slice them into wedges, an inch thick on the wide end.
• Spread the beet wedges out evenly on a baking sheet.
• Drizzle them with olive oil, salt
• Mix them with your hands so that all the beets are evenly coated with the seasoning.
• Roast the beets for about 45 min, just until the edges start to brown and caramelize.
• Squeeze with fresh lemon juice and serve.

Serve these simple and easy roasted beets alongside your favorite main dishes. Or, if you’re like me, eat them like candy as soon as they are cool enough to handle (true story, happened the first time I made this recipe).

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Now that you know how to cook beets, I bet good money they will be on your table much more frequently! Have you tried other methods?  What is your favorite way to eat beets?