As November brings cooler days and longer evenings, our kitchens naturally turn toward comforting, earthy flavors and vegetables that lend themselves to roasting, simmering, and hearty seasonal meals. Few vegetables capture the colors and flavors of the season quite like beets.
Freshly harvested beets are a familiar sight at our Central Coast farmers markets nearly year-round, but they seem especially at home on the autumn table. Their jewel-toned roots — deep ruby red, glowing gold, and candy-striped pink — bring beautiful color to a season of roasted vegetables, warming soups, and holiday gatherings.
Beneath their sometimes rugged appearance lies a natural sweetness that becomes even more pronounced with cooking. Roast beets until tender and caramelized, toss them with toasted walnuts and creamy goat cheese, blend them into a velvety soup, or pickle them for a bright, tangy accompaniment to rich winter dishes.
And don’t overlook those beautiful leafy tops! When purchased fresh from the farmers market, beets offer two delicious vegetables in one.
Get to Know Your Beets
Red Beets
The classic beet, with its deep crimson flesh and distinctive earthy sweetness, is perhaps the most familiar variety. Red beets become wonderfully sweet when roasted, making them a natural partner for citrus, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and fresh herbs. They’re equally delicious in hearty soups, colorful hummus, or traditional pickled preparations. Their beautiful color comes from naturally occurring pigments called betalains.
Golden Beets
Sunny golden beets have a delicate, mellow sweetness and a somewhat less earthy flavor than their red cousins. They’re especially lovely roasted with olive oil and thyme, tossed into warm grain salads, or served alongside other roasted root vegetables. Because golden beets don’t bleed their color the way red beets do, they’re an excellent choice for dishes where you want the other ingredients to retain their appearance.
Chioggia Beets (Candy Cane Beets)
Slice open a Chioggia beet and you’ll discover one of nature’s most charming designs: concentric rings of pink and white. Sometimes called candy cane beets, these Italian heirlooms have a mild, sweet flavor and are particularly beautiful when shaved paper-thin into salads. Cooking tends to soften their distinctive stripes, so use them raw when you want to show off their spectacular coloring. For an elegant holiday salad, try thin slices of Chioggia beets with crisp apples, toasted hazelnuts, and a citrus vinaigrette.
Baby Beets
These petite beauties are simply beets harvested young, when their roots are especially tender. Available in several colors, baby beets are perfect for roasting whole, glazing with a little butter and honey, or quick pickling. Toss warm roasted baby beets with good olive oil, flaky sea salt, and fresh herbs for a simple side dish that needs very little embellishment.
Don’t Toss Those Beautiful Greens!
One of the pleasures of buying freshly harvested beets at the farmers market is bringing home their leafy tops.
Beet greens belong to the same botanical species as Swiss chard, and their flavor and texture are remarkably similar. The tender young leaves are delicious in salads, while larger leaves and stems are wonderful sautéed with garlic, olive oil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Try adding chopped beet greens to hearty bean soups, frittatas, pasta dishes, or a skillet of creamy white beans. The colorful stems are edible, too; simply chop them finely and give them a few extra minutes to cook before adding the leaves.
Beet greens provide vitamins A, C, and K, along with other valuable nutrients. They’re far too delicious and nutritious to end up in the compost pile.
A Little Nutrition in Every Bite
Beets offer more than vibrant color and natural sweetness. They’re a good source of folate, manganese, and dietary fiber, and also provide potassium and other essential nutrients.
Their distinctive red and golden pigments, called betalains, have antioxidant properties and are being studied for their potential health benefits.
Beets also contain naturally occurring dietary nitrates, which the body can convert into nitric oxide, a compound involved in maintaining healthy blood flow.
Like so many whole vegetables, beets offer a delicious combination of nutrients, fiber, and naturally occurring plant compounds that make them a worthwhile addition to a varied, seasonal diet.
Farmers Market and Kitchen Tips
- Choose fresh, firm roots. Look for beets that feel heavy for their size, with smooth, unblemished skins. If the tops are attached, they should appear fresh and vibrant rather than wilted.
- Separate the greens before storing. Cut the leafy tops from the roots, leaving about an inch of stem attached. Store the greens separately in the refrigerator and use them within a few days. The roots will keep considerably longer when refrigerated in a produce bag or covered container.
- Roast for maximum sweetness. Roasting concentrates the natural sugars in beets and brings out their rich, earthy flavor. Scrub them well, wrap them in foil or place them in a covered baking dish, and roast at 400°F until easily pierced with a knife. Once cooled slightly, the skins should slip off with gentle rubbing.
- Try them raw. Young, tender beets can be grated or shaved thinly for salads and slaws. A mandoline makes quick work of creating delicate slices, especially with golden or Chioggia beets.
- Add a little acidity. A squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar brightens the flavor of cooked beets and helps maintain the vivid color of red varieties.
- Keep the colors separate. When preparing a mixture of red, golden, and Chioggia beets, cook and dress the red beets separately until just before serving. Otherwise, their beautiful crimson juices will color everything on the plate!
Bring Beets to the Autumn Table
As the holiday season approaches, beets deserve a place alongside the more familiar winter squash, potatoes, and other root vegetables. Their natural sweetness pairs beautifully with the flavors of autumn — apples, pears, citrus, walnuts, rosemary, thyme, and warm spices.
For a colorful Thanksgiving side dish, try roasting a mixture of red and golden beets and finishing them with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs. Or combine roasted beets with peppery arugula, sliced pears, toasted pecans, and crumbled blue cheese for an elegant salad.
Whether you’re planning a holiday menu or simply preparing a cozy weeknight supper, bring home a bunch of fresh beets from the farmers market, greens and all. This humble root vegetable has a remarkable way of making even the simplest meal feel special.
Explore our collection of favorite beet recipes on Edible Paradise, from colorful salads to comforting roasted vegetable dishes.
