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.
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.
Ingredients
- 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
First, remove the stems from the greens. Then roughly chop the greens.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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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Sautéed Beet Greens
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Silicone Spatula
- Saute Pan
- 1 Stove Top
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 4 cups beet greens
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅙ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the greens, and roughly chop. Place them 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
Sandy
I thought Swiss chard stems were edible but I was told not to use the beet stems. Your recipe never mentions what to do with the stems. Another recipe said to saute the stems first to make tender before adding the leaves. I only saute the leaves tonight. Thank you for the recipe idea.
Katie
Hi Sandy, I don’t use the beet stems because they take much longer to cook and break down. You could take the time to saute them until they are tender then add in the leaves.
Michael’s cookin’
I was raised on beet greens and always eat the stems. My mom used to steam them, but we like them sautéed in butter and olive oil. Put a little lemon juice in because those puppies are bitter. If you don’t have lemon, use a splash of vinegar. Of course salt, pepper, and garlic. Num!
Katie
Hi Michael, thank you so much for all the info. I love it!
Teysha
Just made this for dinner and served it over rice with a sweet potato on the side. Delish!! Thanks for the super simple recipe,
Katie
Teysha–glad you enjoyed it! I love beet greens!!!
Nutmeg Nanny
Oh, I’d love to have a garden that produces like this 🙂 looks wonderful!
Katie
Thanks Brandy. I’m still very new to gardening and I just plant seeds and pray they flourish! lol
Jarome
I always dream of having a backyard garden since I was a kid and I envy for having one. 🙂
Katie
Awe Jarome. If you have even a patio you can start a container garden! I always dreamed of having a garden too!
Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine)
I love beets too! I’m not big on the greens, but maybe because I haven’t found a good recipe yet. This seems like a good contender!
Katie
Ashley you definitely have to enjoy greens to enjoy the beet greens — they are amazing!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
I love beets and grow them in my garden as well. I enjoy sautéed beet greens and usually add the beets (cubed) cooked with olive oil and garlic. Delicious.
Katie
Thanks Karen for visiting!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
I am so envious of your backyard garden!! I love Swiss chard and beet greens!!
Katie
Awe thanks Liz!