Sautéed Beet Greens

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Next time you roast beets don’t throw the greens away. Instead make my Sautéed Beet Greens recipe that makes for an iron rich side dish in under a half hour.

Sauteed greens with chopped garlic in a brown saute pan.

Years ago I planted almost a whole raised garden bed full of beets and swiss chard. Then it came time for harvesting and I had an abundance. After a little research I realized I could eat the greens from the beets. So that’s where this recipe for Sautéed Beet Greens.

My days of gardening vegetables are gone, but whenever I buy beets to cook I always save the greens to saute. They take longer then traditional spinach since you have to really wash them well –let them soak for some time to get all the grit out of them. But the little bit of extra work is well worth the reward.

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Ingredients
Directions
FAQs
Growing Beets
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Beet Recipes
Sautéed Beet Greens

Ingredients

Fresh bundle of beets, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper on a marble countertop.

Beets – Any color beets work for this recipe. The leaves are all the same.
Oil – I like to use olive oil for this recipe.
Garlic – A few cloves of garlic will elevate the leaves as they cook.
Seasonings – I like the simplicity of salt and pepper.

Directions

Green cutting board with chopped greens and a knife.

Chopped greens on a bright green cutting board with a knife.

First, remove the stems from the greens. Then roughly chop the greens.

Glass bowl with greens soaking in water on a marble countertop.

Place the greens in a large bowl with water. Let them sit for 5 minutes. All the sand/dirt will fall to the bottom. Remove the greens, dump the water, and repeat until your greens have been washed thoroughly and no longer have dirt/sand on them. This will take 3-4 times of this process until all the grit is removed.

Brown frying pan with chopped garlic and oil in pan.

In a large sautéed pan (fitted with a lid) place the olive oil in the pan and cook for 1 minute on medium heat. Then add in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

Chopped greens in a brown skillet on a black stove.

Reduce the heat to medium and begin to add the greens. Place all the greens in the pan, put the lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Greens should begin to wilt. Carefully stir, the greens (moving the top greens to the bottom and the bottom greens to the top). Cook an additional 5 minutes longer then serve.

Brown frying pan filled with chopped greens and garlic on a black stove top.

This is what your beat greens will look like after they have wilted down. Beet greens wilt down just like spinach! You think you have a lot until they cook.

FAQs

Can you eat the stems of beet greens?

Yes, you can eat the stems of beet greens. I prefer not too, but if you don’t want to waste them (since this plant is entirely edible) I suggest sauteeing the beet stems first and once they are starting to become soft, then add in the greens.

What do sauteed beet greens taste like?

Sauteed beet greens taste similar to spinach or even sauteed swiss chard. They are mild in flavor and whatever you season them with they will take on the flavor. Beet greens taste nothing like beets.

What is the best way to eat beet greens?

You can eat cooked beet greens as a side dish. Or you can add them to the following dishes.
– Add sauteed beet greens to your favorite pasta dish in place of spinach.
– Add the beet greens to soup where you would normally add a leafy green.
– Place a small amount of cooked greens into an egg omelette.

Who should not eat beet greens?

If you are allergic to beets or celery you should not eat beet greens. This is because it contains a chemical similar to those allergic to beets and celery.

Growing Beets

If you plan to grow beets in the winter here are some gardening tips and tricks.

Do plant the seeds directly into the ground
Don’t just pour the packet of seeds into the ground. Be meticulous and spread out the seeds. I think my beets could have gotten much larger had they had more room to grow. I.e., I just poured the packet in the ground and hoped for the best!
Do harvest the beet greens before it gets hot out. Greens get bitter as the weather gets warmer.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Here are a few of my tips and tricks whenever I cook with beet greens.

Soak – Take the time to properly wash your greens to avoid a gritty side dish.
Zero Waste Vegetable – Roast your beets and save the greens for a vitamin packed side dish. Absolutely no waste when you get to use the beet greens, too. Save the stems to throw in smoothies for added vitamins.
Additional Greens – Since beet greens are similiar to spinach and swiss chard they shrivel up once they are cooked. Feel free to add in additional spinach or swiss chard to the saute pan to beef up your greens and give additional servings.

Beet Recipes

Love beets? Check out a few of my other delicious beet recipes.

Next time you buy beets from the store (or grow them in my case), do not discard the coveted beet green tops. Clean them well, chop them up, and sauté them to make my Sautéed Beet Greens.

If you make this Sautéed Beet Greens recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

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