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Beet greens should be cut off your beets when harvested in order to help your root veggies last longer. But don’t throw away your beet greens! There are many wonderful ways to use these greens.
In fact, beet greens are one of my favorite leafy greens to use. They are tender with an earthy flavor that doesn’t over-power.
Here are three ways to use beet greens for healthy eating!
Add Raw Beet Greens to your Salad
Beet greens, when picked before they get overgrown, are a great addition to salads. In fact, beet greens can be grown specifically to use as fresh greens, instead of for their root.
Trim smaller, more delicate beet greens from their stems and mix them into a salad with other greens. Or, use beet greens as your primary salad mix, especially with a warm dressing or some feta cheese.
and is topped with shaved parmesan.
Stir Fry or Saute Beet Greens
Like many heart greens (kale, collards, etc.) beet greens are delicious when lightly sauteed or stir fried with other veggies.
Unlike other greens, the stems of been greens are not very tough. You can leave a bit of the stem on when chopping greens to prepare for cooking.
To saute beet greens on their own, simply heat up a frying pan (I find a cast iron skillet works best) with some extra virgin olive oil. Add garlic or onions and saute until soft. Mix in chopped beet greens and saute just until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To add beet greens to a stir fry, start with the heartiest veggies (onions, beans, brocolli, etc.) and saute those in olive oil until al dente. Then, add chopped beet greens and saute until just wilted. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and other herbs last.
Add Beet Greens to Eggs or a Frittata
For some reason, I love the combination of eggs and leafy greens. Sauteed garlicky greens topped with a fried egg is divine for breakfast for dinner. Add a few hearty grains (like quinoa) and you have a full range of nutrients to keep you full.
Beet greens are also delicious in a frittata with basil, garlic, and feta cheese. Frittatas are fairly easy to make and adapt with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Our favorite method is from Melissa Clark’s cookbook Dinner: Changing the Game. Her frittata cooking method is slightly different from other recipes and results in a tender frittata that tastes almost like the inside of a quiche. Use this frittata recipe from the NY Times and simply substitute been greens for spinach and feta for goat cheese.
Carrie Williams Howe is an educational leader by day and an aspiring homesteader by night and weekend. She lives on a small homestead in Vermont with her husband, two children, and a rambunctious border collie. She blogs about her family's homestead life at The Happy Hive.
