Roasted Beets are Delicious!
Beets are a deliciously sweet starchy vegetable, but I used to hate them! I’m not exactly sure why, but I just didn’t like them. I think that was before we roasted them though, because now I can’t get enough roasted beets! When I didn’t like them, it was when we bought them already cooked. So they were usually cold and unseasoned. They were also boiled, which doesn’t bring out their natural sweetness. That’s why roasted beets are so much better, the heat caramelizes the natural sugars. Just like roasted or baked sweet potatoes are nice and sweet, boiled sweet potatoes are not. So if you have the option to roast your starchy vegetables, do it and they will be so much yummier!
Beets are a Super Food
Another reason why I love beets is because they are a super food! They pack some crazy nutrition – just look at how colorful they are. Beets are loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They even help detoxify your body, now that’s powerful! If you don’t know what polyphenols are, they’re basically plant super nutrients. It’s one reason why deeply colored vegetables are so good for you, and why people say “eat the rainbow”. The color helps you tell that it’s full of polyphenols, so eat up you dark colored vegetables and fruits like beets, sweet potatoes, blueberries, tomatoes, kale, broccoli, etc.
Cook them Easily
But let’s face it… beets aren’t the easiest vegetable to cook. They skin is rough and dirty, their juice stains your fingers (and towels!), and they’re super solid like a potato. Thank goodness there are 2 easy ways to cook them, that’s why I love roasted beets! By using these 2 simple methods, you can get beautifully cooked beets with minimal mess or frustration. I find the 2 best ways are baking them whole or roasting the slices. Either way you choose, you can make delicious roasted beets with almost no effort!
Easy Roasted Beets (2 Ways!)
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Ingredients
- 2 beets
- Avocado Oil
- Sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel the skin off your beets with a vegetable peeler.
- If roasting sliced beets:
- Slice your beets, then place the slices in bowl. Toss them with 1-2 tbsp. of oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- Place the slices on a cast iron skillet or parchment lined baking pan. Don’t overlap the beets to ensure they cook evenly.
- Place them in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Be sure to flip the beets and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until they’re done.
- If roasting whole beets:
- Wrap each beet in foil.
- Place the foiled beets on a baking sheet and roast them for about 1 hour, or until they’re fork tender. (Be careful when opening the foil, there will be steam inside!)
